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It caused the space between those two to become distorted. Then, both of them finally disappeared from that spot! Clang clang clang, the shrill metallic noise of two clashing swords reverberated in all directions, and we looked up towards the sky! That was because we felt a presence above us! And sure enough, two people had flown up in the air, and their swords fiercely collided as they descended! From when they had jumped all the way until they began to fall, it was only a very short period of time. However, in the time that the two people exchanged blows, it felt as though it was an extremely intense battle. Several techniques flew across from each side, and the two people were vehemently opposing each other. Slashing down from above, slicing from below to above, an occasional thrust, or deflecting attacks aside, both were swinging and slashing ferociously, yet there were also small slashes — the two people were engaging in a high-speed slashing showdown in mid-air — aura was overflowing from both of their swords, and as a result of that aura, all the replica buildings in the surrounding area crumbled and collapsed. “…Formidable.”
“Ah…”
“……”
The swordsmen Irina, Xenovia and Kiba were speechless. They intently watched the intense swordplay battle occurring in the air. No one batted an eyelid as they focused their attention on the battle between the legendary Holy King Sword and the legendary old warrior. For the three people who were watching Arthur and Strada’s battle, closing their eyes would be shameful as a swordsman. Arthur and Strada continued to go at each other as they descended, and when they finally landed on the ground, without any time to catch their breath, they ran towards each other with their holy swords clashing again! They ran sideways as they were attacking each other! Between the attacks of these two people, large cracks appeared on the floor, and the ground had also been easily destroyed. Both of their bodies had also changed. Although neither of them had been hit cleanly, Strada’s thoroughly trained body had suffered several cuts, and the parts of Arthur’s suit which had been shredded were quite conspicuous. Both of them had ecstatic expressions, and it appeared that both of them were happy from the bottom of their hearts about this slashing confrontation— The Holy King Sword gathered a calm aura, and Arthur suddenly thrust it in a strange direction. Then, a hole was pierced in that space, and the blade disappeared into it! Strada seemed to have noticed something, thus he bent his upper body backwards greatly and then horizontally from a spot near where he was, a sword flew out! So that was what it was, Arthur was able to use the Holy King Sword to pierce a hole in space, and then send it towards a position close to his opponent? Speaking of which, Arthur had once used a holy sword to create a tear in space, which he escaped into afterwards. Was this an ability of the Holy King Sword, or one of Arthur’s techniques? Although that was unknown, it was certain that Arthur could move between space, and that he could also send his sword directly next to Strada. Next, the irregular old warrior Strada had moved his body, and dodged the attack from an almost certain striking position! Was this real!? He was even able to evade such an unexpected move!? While being attacked normally, Strada still easily dodged even Arthur’s space transportation technique which couldn’t be detected. …If it was me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to detect even a feint, and would certainly receive their attack every time. But that old warrior only changed his stance and sword position! In addition, this was performed while in the midst of an intense sword fight, thus it was easy to understand that there was an attack which I could not recognise with the naked eye. If it was me — there would be no way to evade the Holy King Sword; my body would be continually consumed by that holy aura, and I would eventually fall to the ground. There were many techniques, surprise attacks, and on top of that, the power of holy swords couldn’t be underestimated…for me, Arthur was the type that I’d have horrible compatibility against. “…Arthur hasn’t yet used his full power. Of course, Strada also…”
Even Kiba couldn’t estimate the true strength of these two swordsmen, and bit his lip with a reluctant look. I’m afraid that he saw that his own strength was incomparable to those two, and at the same time because he understood the strength of those two, he could only grit his teeth. …Me too, my friend. …In this world, why are there such strong guys…. Moreover, he has the body of a human. The Vali team’s swordsman Arthur Pendragon, the wielder of the Holy King Sword. He is strong indeed…! The two swordsmen continued their breath-taking battle for a few minutes — but it suddenly came to an end. Both people exchanged a heavy blow with each other, and they jumped backwards before the sparks had disappeared. Both of them readjusted their sword stance…however, Arthur suddenly put his sword down. He adjusted his glasses, and smiled as he said
“…Wonderful — but, let’s stop. If this continues, I won’t be able to get over the shock.”
Arthur said a string of strange words, but Strada seemed to understand, and he also put down his sword for now. “…Sorry, young swordsman.”
The old warrior began to smile wryly, indicating that he understood Arthur’s behaviour. Arthur smiled, then turned around to leave. When he came past our side, he only said one thing
“…If we met thirty years earlier, no, twenty years, it would certainly be the best battle. If it continued…it would only invite sadness.”
Arthur spoke in a lonesome manner, and then he left. … Was this known as the pride that only a swordsman could understand? Next, we were the ones who were left…but, what could we do? In order to stop this jisan — should we really be serious about it? …I made up my mind, and made wyverns appear from the gems of my armour. As the old warrior saw this, he smiled joyously. “I have heard of it. The Sekiryuutei even has the ability to modify entire environments — indeed after receiving that attack, even I won’t be able to avoid death.”
…My Longinus Smasher, does he already know about it? Since I last used it, it’s already been more than a month. The charge has already been completed. Kokabiel’s words resurfaced in my mind. It was about the previous wielder of Durandal — that is, it was related to this jisan Strada. —The previous wielder’s strength was far beyond the scope of common sense! …Strength beyond comprehension, it was so convincing that I was speechless…! For this reason, if I don’t use my unique abilities then this old man won’t back down! However, the person who inserted herself in front of me was Xenovia. Xenovia took a step forward, and confronted Strada-jisan. She held Ex-Durandal out in front of her body — and then separated it into two swords. | text_19 |
From Ex-Durandal, the handle of Excalibur could be separated from Durandal…and what Xenovia just did, was separate another legendary holy sword from Durandal. In other words, she was holding Durandal with her right hand, and Excalibur itself with her left hand. This wasn’t just any Excalibur, it wasn’t Rapidly, neither was it Destruction, nor was it Mimic, but it was the true Excalibur itself. She made a dual wielding stance using both Durandal and Excalibur. This also meant that she had released Durandal from the suppression of Excalibur. Seeing this, Strada’s entire body quivered, as if he was excited about this fight for the first time! “That’s right. That’s how it should be! From my perspective as the previous wielder of Durandal, Ex-Durandal is a questionable combination. Durandal itself is a finished product, Excalibur is also a finished product…why is such a combination necessary? The reason is because you’re unable to control Durandal, and thus you foolishly used Excalibur as an [auxillary]. You…are a prodigy when it comes to single or dual wielding — don’t deny it. As long as you believe in power, power will materialise itself!”
…That’s right. Xenovia was unable to control Durandal’s aggressive aura, so she supressed it by using Excalibur as a sheath to enclose it. And just as that jisan said, Xenovia preferred a dual wielding fighting style. Excalibur Destruction + Durandal, or Durandal + Ascalon — she had currently returned to her previous style. In one hand was Durandal and in the other was Excalibur. That’s right, this was the fighting style that she had when we met her. In an instant — the two separated holy swords each began to radiate a dense holy aura. Their aura continued to increase, without any signs of stopping. The holy aura released was immensely pure and strong, causing the people nearby to tremble; this was something that could not be felt from Xenovia’s sword in the past. Strada’s eyes became moist. “…I was finally able to meet you again, Durandal. That’s right, this is Durandal’s true form. Come, warrior Xenovia. There’s no need to consider anything, that’s all. Durandal’s true essence is only in destruction.”
“…Yes!”
Holding their holy swords, the two swordsmen who exemplified power gradually reduced their distance. Their pace was leisurely, but there was a certain strength behind it. Both of them moved until they were within reach of each other’s sword, and then they began a battle of swords! Xenovia’s two swords and Strada’s sword exuded a silver radiance while sparks flew off them as they fiercely and brilliantly collided with each other! “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrhhhh!”
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!”
The shockwaves from the power of destruction alone caused the entire battlefield space to tremor, everything around those two began to collapse! The replicated buildings began to collapse one after the other, and deep fissures also appeared on the surface of the ground! Even the top section of this space began to crack, and a kaleidoscopic pattern could be seen through the dimensional crack! The scene in front of my eyes was the same as when I fought against Sairaorg-san, and even more destructive than that time. Like that time, it was a product of pure destruction and damage. The destructive output which was generated from both Durandal and the replica knocked us to the ground, and sometimes we even felt pain in our bodies…cracks even appeared in Saji’s and my armour. Just how much power had to be colliding to produce shockwaves with such an effect! It was afraid that in the world that those two people resided in, only they could understand — that power and strength. This battle couldn’t be replicated by people who didn’t think in terms of power. It was only possible to communicate through the use of body language here! Xenovia formed a cross with Durandal and Excalibur, and then swung them down simultaneously! Strada used the replica to parry this blow head on! This attack of destruction x destruction truly embodied destruction, but the opponent was also a power monster! “Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!”
The two legendary holy swords were deflected by the replica! —However, the price for that was high. Cracks appeared on the replica’s blade, and the old warrior’s breathing became heavy. It was clear to see that he was becoming exhausted. Strada kneeled down with one knee on the ground. If this continued, Xenovia would become dominant because of the gap in their physical ability. The previous wielder of Durandal who possessed incredible strength — was an eighty year old man after all, his physical condition couldn’t be helped. Xenovia approached Strada who was kneeling on the ground. Just when it was time for the winner to be decided, someone injected themselves into the space between those two — it was the young Cardinal called Teodoro. The youth’s face was filled with tears as he stood in front of Xenovia, covering Strada who was behind him. Seeing his behaviour, Xenovia appeared confused. The boy had tears streaming down his face as he said
“…Please forgive His Eminence Strada. The fault is mine.”
“Your Eminence Teodoro…please stand down. The decisions were made by this old man.”
The boy stopped Strada who wanted to get up. “Enough already! It’s already enough! Already, enough has been done! If even you cease to exist, I…how can I do anything!”
The boy turned around, and showed the pure white wings which were evidence of his existence as a [Miracle Child]. He distraughtly said
“…My…father and mother…were both killed by Devils.”
His eyes looked into ours — they were filled with sorrow. “…I will never forgive Devils! I will never let Devils get away!”
The boy screamed. …In the face of his words, we were speechless. …Both his parents were killed by Devils? He was a [Miracle Child] — the half-breed of a human and an Angel, while his father and mother…were killed by Devils? Strada hugged the boy with a sorrowful expression, and he quietly said
“…An alliance is also nice, as it is a form of peace. But — in that case, some people will not be saved, and some people will be angered. Whether it’s His Eminence Teodoro, or the warriors you faced today, they took up their swords after their lives were derailed by Devils.”
……
…That’s right, this so-called peace won’t occur for absolutely everybody. Since we’ve experienced peace, then there will also be people who have experienced suffering…but, even if that’s the case, we also…! “We—”
Just when I was about to speak, someone spoke over me. “We!”
—It was Kiba. Kiba said
“…We only want to live peacefully. You have your own sense of justice, and you have your own values. | text_19 |
However, my master Rias Gremory, as well as Ise-kun, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, Asia-san, Xenovia, Gasper-kun, Irina-san, Rossweisse-san, Ravel-san, and the Sitri household, are all my many nakama who live in this town; we’ve survived life and death situations together and have been through good and bad times.”
Kiba seemed as if he had removed a mask, and his expression was more candid than ever before. Xenovia also agreed with Kiba
“It’s true. We all support each other, we’re nakama who have risked our lives fought together through everything. Even if His Eminence Strada and His Eminence Teodoro don’t recognise it, we fight with pride! Even if someone is unsatisfied, we will continue to fight for the people who believe in us!”
Hearing the two swordsmen — what the Gremory [Knights] said, a satisfied smile appeared on Vasco Strada’s wrinkled face. “…I see, their eyes have a powerful expression, and their will was strong. Princess Rias Gremory, you have a pair of good [Knights].”
“Yes, they are also the [Knights] that I am proud of.”
Rias was also proud of the two [Knights]. Although Kiba and Xenovia were similar in that they were both from Church facilities, the path that they followed in life was completely different. And now, while serving under the same master, through their mutual experiences, they began to have similar ideas again—. Irina also approached the two brave [Knights], and stood beside them. “Your Eminence Strada, Your Eminence Teodoro, I also — believe that evil Devils exist. But—”
Irina turned her gaze towards me. “There are also good Devils. It’s the same as humans…even in other mythologies, there are also good and evil Gods.”
After listening to this, Strada satisfying laughed loudly. “Hahahaha! Ah…I see, I see. However, as an Angel, you talked about Pagan Gods… yes, this is the result of an alliance, but this also means the beginning of a new era…”
The old warrior had his hand on his chin as he thought. But, it looked like he was somewhat happy — however, Strada picked his sword up again. “—However, the things you have discarded have brought you to a very different place. Your Eminence Teodoro, please stand aside. Let me show you this old man’s Durandal’s final moment.”
…His willpower still hadn’t decreased! His eyes were still burning with a passionate flame! Even if he would die with us, he still insisted on going on until the end! However, his strength did not return. If he continued to fight, with or without any sacrifices, we would still win in the near future…but, was that alright? Was it really alright for this to continue? As I was contemplating this, the young Cardinal cried and tried to stop Strada. “It’s already enough! It’s already enough! Your Eminenece Strada! I…that’s enough! You and His Eminence Cristaldi, and the warriors who fought for me…that’s already enough! …When my feelings and frustration were directly communicated to these people, we could have retreated. …So, I should receive the punishment! I will use my life as payment!”
From his expression, I could feel his strong determination. The boy understood his actions and his words, and he was also prepared for his punishment. Strada revealed a kind smile, and he gently stroked the boy’s head. “…A child complaining about injustice is something that happens in any era. Your complaint was very noble, and very pure. Because of this, I would take up my sword again, and the warriors will follow you. And what I wanted to see the most was — them completely accepting yours and the warriors’ beliefs; they didn’t exclude us, they actually accepted us, and listened to our beliefs. They…should have already thought deeply about how to stop us. How to accept our beliefs without crushing them — at that time, we had already lost.”
“—Uh.”
Hearing what the old warrior said, the young Cardinal was speechless, and lowered his head. …From the very beginning, this jisan already had an understanding of our side’s situation…even so; he still carried the dissatisfaction of the boy and the warriors, and took up his sword…. Strada said
“In my mind and Cristaldi’s mind, we asked for God’s forgiveness. His Eminence Teodoro and the warriors are still young. This incident was caused because I fanned the flames— after hearing what was said in this battle, and with my death, they will be able to find a new way of life.”
—Ah! This jisan! He intends to shoulder everything!? From the beginning, for the purpose of understanding the dissatisfaction of the warriors, he assumed full responsibility for it— Hearing Strada’s confession, the warriors all wailed. “Your Eminence!”
“Please don’t say such things!”
“Your Eminence, if it’s my life, I would offer it gladly!”
“We were already prepared to go to Purgatory!”
Everyone shed tears. All of the hardened warriors were trying to stop the old warrior’s atonement. Looking at this scene alone, it was evident that the warriors truly admired Strada. In the face of that jisan’s beliefs, we — also had troubled expressions, and were unable to decide whether or not to fight. When both sides had become weary of battle —
“How about you allow me to get rid of you all ♪”
Suddenly, a different voice echoed around everywhere! Everyone looked around in every direction, and eventually fixed onto a single point. Standing there was someone dressed in gothic style clothing; a woman holding a parasol — no, a witch, Walburga! This person! Intruding again! Everyone pointed their weapons towards her! The witch made a delightful smile. “At the final sweet happy ending, I step in ♪ — don’t you think that this just adds fuel to the fire?”
As she finished speaking, Walburga tapped her foot on the ground. From that, a countless number of magic circles appeared and began to spread and expand! The light emitted from them at the same time shone brightly, and illuminated us! Emerging from the countless transportation type magic circles was — a huge swarm of mass-produced evil dragons! Ten, twenty, thirty…the number of evil dragons which gradually emerged from the transportation magic circles was almost in the triple digit range! Really, in this situation, this person had to summon these mass-produced evil dragons! Covering a nearby area completely like black paint — all of them were evil dragons! The witch stood before the swarm of evil dragons, and began to laugh. “Well, let’s have all you evil dragons show them your skills ♪ ”
Walburga extended her hand out with an extremely innocent, yet extremely evil smile, but just when she was about to issue orders to the evil dragons, Rossweisse-san smiled eloquently. “—I knew that this would happen.”
Rossweisse-san snapped her fingers. After that, the entire space began to emit a silvery light! The sky, replicated buildings, the ground, everything was shining with a brilliant silver light! Suddenly, the evil dragons seemed to lose their strength, and slumped onto the ground! Even their eyes had lost their resolve, and they became motionless! “—Uh! This is…! | text_19 |
What’s happening! ?”
As a result of the unexpected events, Walburga was surprised. We were also quite surprised! How, what was happening!? Rossweisse-san smiled confidently as she said
“For Qlippoth to infiltrate here, as well as summoning evil dragons, I anticipated this a while ago. This space was designed and constructed with my own barrier technique. If evil dragons are summoned here, their functioning abilities will be sealed.”
—Ah! Really! After predicting that these guys would invade, the seal to restrict the movements of these summoned evil dragons was embedded into the space!? But, for them to come here, that was also something predictable. They intended to rely on numbers to overwhelm us. However, during the research into the sealing for Trihexa, Rossweisse-san thought of this barrier technique! Rossweisse-san looked towards Asia. “Asia previously won over mass-produced evil dragons, and this technique used that as a foundation. With her permission, I investigated her mass-produced evil dragons. When I was creating this barrier, I embedded the technique to stop their movements inside.”
How amazing! Using the clues that she gained from the evil dragons that Asia and Fafnir brought over, she was able to produce such a beautiful success! In that case, completing the seal for Trihexa was within reach! She was indeed a talented Nordic woman! Hearing this, Walburga frowned — but, she suddenly began to laugh. “Waha, that’s rather scary. Well, I think I’ll retreat now ♪”
She had just arrived, yet as soon as she found it disadvantageous, she wanted to escape! She was truly quite determined to escape! Walburga created a magic circle for transportation below her feet, and intended to retreat — but, the light from the magic circle faded, and it gradually disappeared. “…It didn’t activate? Transportation was sealed?”
Walburga spoke involuntarily with a surprised tone. “—No, just that all paths have been cut off.”
There was another voice! Turning around to look, standing there was [Slash Dog] Ikuse Tobio followed by a black dog! Walburga was shocked to see Ikuse-san there. “—[Slash Dog]!”
Ikuse-san spoke to her as if she was an old acquaintance
“Yo, long time no see, witch of the purple flames. How is the Holy Cross you inherited? Sorry, I’ve cut off all the magic transportation escape routes you prepared outside this space.”
Hearing what he said, I looked up at the sky — I could only see the tips of countless swords pointing downwards, much like icicles…at the top of this vast space, swords were growing out everywhere…? The twisted blades emitted an ominous glow, and the blades also had spell like patterns engraved on them. Walburga was dismayed when she saw this! “Y-You’ve got to be kidding! I used a combination of tens of thousands of random spells for that technique!? In the short period of time after I infiltrated, all of them—”
“That is correct, all of them were severed. After all, I work behind the scenes, so it’s my job to do.”
“……Uh! Are you really a human..! ?”
Walburga was at a loss for words. I didn’t know if it was entirely because her technique was destroyed in an instant, but she seemed to be looking at Ikuse-san as is she was looking at a monster. Ikuse-san said to me
“Quickly decide on the final attack, Hyoudou Issei-kun. The dragon of legend should shine on the centre of the stage.”
“Ah, yes!”
All right! Thanks to Rossweisse-san and Ikuse-san, the function of all the evil dragons had been stopped, and Walburga had successfully been trapped in here! Although this was somewhat rude to that jisan Strada, but let me get rid of this witch first! All the members of [DxD] had focused their attention onto Walburga. It was because everyone knew that the most dangerous person here was this witch. Walburga could feel the hostility arising from everyone, and laughed quietly, before laughing out loudly. “Ahahahahahahaha!”
Walburga spread her arms out! A roar came from behind her and then purple flames ignited behind her, forming the shape of a cross! “Well then, I’ll let you experience it! My Balance Breaker!”
Walburga lifted her spirits in one breath, and the purple flames responded by expanding greatly! They gradually changed shape, continued to grow, and eventually formed a certain shape! That was an extremely large cross! And tied onto it was — a large eight-headed dragon! It was massive! Its enormous body was around two hundred metres in length! However, I was familiar with that thing! — It was Yamata no Orochi! No wonder it seemed familiar. Just the other day, I fought against the swordsman who was manipulated by it! Walburga stood in front of Yamata no Orochi which was made of purple flames as she said
“—This is my subspecies Balance Breaker: [Incinerate Antiphon Calvario] ♪”
Strada looked at the evil dragon bound to the cross and then said
“I’ve heard about the ability of the current user of the Holy Cross; it changes its shape and features depending on the object which is bound to the cross. Yamata no Orochi has been bound currently, isn’t that right?”
So her subspecies Balance Breaker actually had this kind of ability! After hearing this, the witch said
“Yaegaki-kun’s sword only had half the soul of [Yamata no Orochi] in it, while the remaining half was absorbed by my purple flames. That’s because this Longinus’s true form is an independent type ♪”
…Of all the things to absorb, it was an evil dragon! Using a holy relic to bind an evil dragon’s soul, and then reproducing its power was really quite chaotic! But, although it was an evil dragon, its body was made of the holy relic’s flames. Devils would inevitably be annihilated if they touched those flames. However, there was someone who bravely took a step forward — it was Xenovia. She held Excalibur and Durandal in each hand as she moved forward. “Allow me. Currently, it should be possible.”
Her expression was full of confidence, as if it was assurance of her bold actions. In the previous fight against Strada, perhaps Xenovia already mastered the true essence of Durandal’s power. But, I’m also going to accompany you! I stood beside Xenovia, and pointed at Walburga as I said
“Now, you’re going to be defeated by us!”
After I said that, I ordered my wyverns to fly ahead! Xenovia stood there quietly, and began raising the power of the two holy swords. I was clearly able to see the extremely dense and concentrated holy aura which enveloped the swords! “You think that two people alone can do something to me! ?”
I dodged the storm of spells that Walburga released as well as Yamata no Orochi’s breath, and then began to increase that power! The opponent was female. Both Dress Break and Bilingual could be used! But, Azazel-sensei had said that Walburga might use magic to defend against those techniques! Well, all I need to do — is break through her magical defences! I ordered the wyverns to surround Walburga! I allowed them to freely soar through the air! Walburga felt annoyed, and wanted to shoot them down with magic. | text_19 |
But simply shooting down one or two of them was insignificant! As long as one of them hit her, then it would satisfy the conditions to activate my technique! [Reflect!] The wyverns freely flew around in the air reflecting the witch’s spells as they entangled her, searching for an opening. Finally, one of them lightly touched her shoulder! In an instant, the pattern for my technique appeared on Walburga’s shoulder! —The time was ripe! I injected energy into my right hand, and then cried out! “—Penetrate!”
[Penetrate!!] The voice from my Sacred Gear was emitted loudly! Then, I increased my demonic energy to expand the mysterious space around me! “—Bilingual!”
The technique — surrounded Walburga! Bilingual successfully worked on the witch! After that, Walburga’s oppai began speaking to me about what the witch was thinking. “After this, I’ll use magic to perform elemental attacks, along with [Yamata no Orochi] to pin down the Sekiryuutei. I’ll look for opportunities at the same time, where I plan to release purple flames onto the [DxD] members who are waiting at the rear.”
—Ah! Although I could understand the plan that Walburga had in mind, the voice of her oppai sounded like a rough, battle-hardened Sengoku warlord!? There were such oppai!? I was dealt a heavy blow! Ah, oh well, it still allowed me to understand what the witch was planning to do! I flew forwards anticipating the witch’s actions, as I shot down all of her elemental magic attacks, thus stopping her attack! Walburga was highly surprised when she realised that Bilingual had been used on her! “This can’t be real!? I’ve been hit by that weird technique!? H-How can that be, this is me!”
Also because the situation was unfavourable for her, she was dealt an even greater shock from my Bilingual! That ability was quite strange, I’m really sorry! However, as long as I used it together with Penetrate, it has been invincible against all the female opponents so far! I can anticipate all of your actions! Well, that settles this! I evaded the witch’s spells of various attributes which were even more potent than Rossweisse-san’s, or shot them down with dragon flames, and closed the distance between us in an instant! I hesitantly placed my hand on Walburga; it was a habit! “Dress Break!”
I coolly shredded Walburga’s clothing apart! Mmm! The shape of her oppai was not very good! A small waist as well as a small butt! I finally did it to this witch! My perseverance and dedication for perversion finally bore fruit! “Mou, you hentai dragon!”
Despite making such a complaint, even in such a situation, Walburga didn’t attempt to cover up her naked body, and continued to attack me; admire, admire! —Then, Xenovia made an announcement! “—I’m coming, Ise. This is it!”
Xenovia said so, and then lifted up the two holy swords — although they were releasing a highly concentrated, and dense aura that they never did before, they were still very stable! Xenovia said
“Because I was unable to control Durandal’s agressive power, I temporarily used Excalibur to control it before. Furthermore, it was also to utilise the various abilities of Excalibur and practice using techniques. However, Durandal’s and my nature — was still beating within me. My original fighting style was true — but, in my blind pursuit of power, I deviated from that nature. After a detour, I re-examined myself again, and have again decided to return to my original style.”
With the sheer power of Durandal + Excalibur Destruction or Ascalon, she previously used a dual wielding style, but after encountering an enemy who she couldn’t defeat with power alone, she also began to use the various techniques and abilities of Excalibur. Although the fighting style she used before me was the same as before; increased power with dual wielding — despite this, the atmosphere surrounding her, and her manner was vastly different to before. Despite having an agressive side, the holy aura was very stable, and didn’t feel dangerous at all. Xenovia overlapped the two swords to form a cross, and then shouted! “Because of the experiences that I’ve had so far, I’ve been able to return to my origin! They have become a part of my flesh and blood so that I can successfully control Durandal! Come on Durandal, sharpen! Excalibur as well! Together with Durandal, support me by my side, and guide me so that I can advance further!”
The holy aura of Durandal and Excalibur was released! The radiant light which was released from both blades illuminated the entire space, reaching all the way up to the sky! Xenovia lifted the two holy swords which were both encased in an immense holy aura! However, a tremendous burst of fire erupted from the eight-headed evil dragon made of purple flames, attempting to obstruct Xenovia! A fireball of purple flames! Because it was supplemented by the holy aura of the holy relic, its power against a devil would cause a one-hit kill if a direct hit was taken! However, there were reassuring nakama who dealt with it! “I won’t let you do it!”
“That’s right!”
Irina and Koneko-chan respectively used Hauteclere and the power of purification to offset the fireball! How could I let you get away with this!>>
“Well said.”
Darkness Gasper and Kiba using a dark holy-demonic sword confidently got rid of the rest of the fireballs from the front! That guy Gasper was becoming more and more like a monster! “We’re also coming!”
“Eh!”
“Destruction is the Gremory’s area of expertise.”
The group of three onee-sans Akeno-san, Rias, Rossweisse-san each released Holy Lightning Dragons, bullets with the power of destruction, and magic projectiles, which destroyed the heads of the evil dragon one by one! When it came to destruction, we were experts! At the necks where Yamata no Orochi’s heads were destroyed, purple flames gathered, and it was about to regenerate the heads which it lost. At that time, several lines which were covered in black flames extended towards it! “—Nice work.”
Saji! The lines which came out from the armour on his hand extended, and tied up the entire body of the evil dragon! The giant body of purple flames was gradually being eroded by the jet-black flames! The curse which could be seen with the naked eye surfaced, and had wrapped around the evil dragon’s purple flame body! Vritra’s curse was very powerful, as soon as it touched a body, it would not be easy to dispel. As the flames inflicted pain, the opponent’s strength and soul would slowly be drained, eventually reducing them to ashes. These lines could strongly attach themselves to the opponent’s body, and absorb their strength, thus people would feel awed by such an ability. “—Xenovia-san, this is my duty as a vice-president candidate to greet and show my support for you as a candidate for the president. After this, it’s up to you.”
Saji said that to Xenovia as he made a thumbs up pose! Hearing Saji’s joke, she courageously smiled and then replied
“Ah, well, I won’t hold back then! The three of us are a sharp sword! | text_19 |
Good, we’ll go together!”
Xenovia formed a cross with the two holy swords which had their holy aura increased, and then released her slicing attack! The torrent of aura could be described as the shape of a large cross, and it boomed forwards! In an instant, everything that lay in its path was divided into two. Finally, the cross sliced apart the gigantic purple flamed [Yamata no Orochi]! It was quite ironic that the Holy Cross, which was a holy relic, was sliced apart by the cross generated from the wave of two holy swords — the wave which cut through the gigantic purple flamed dragon even sliced the artificial space in two, creating a large rift there. Looking into the rift, even the dimensional gap could be seen. “—Cross Crisis, that will be its name.”
Xenovia made her decision as she said that! Although it was only half a soul, to be able to take down the Holy Cross with an evil dragon, that power was quite extraordinary! However, I couldn’t let Xenovia take the entire spotlight! Well, I also need to land a winning strike! “…This can’t be real, why have my purple flames been…!”
Walburga was frozen on the spot because of the impact of having her Balance Breaker cut in half by an attack! I relentlessly used the wyverns to increase my power, preparing to fire Crimson Blaster! “…The evil dragon couldn’t entirely be tied to the Holy Cross…? But, the [Chief mourner]in my body clearly said before that it was possible…!”
Facing the speechless witch, I finished charging up energy, and launched the attack! “Crimson Blaaaasteerrr!”
[Fang Blast Booster!!!!] The massive red aura which was fired out from my cannon enveloped the witch—. Upon the battlefield where smoke had cleared—. The Church warriors of the rebellion who fought against us had thrown their weapons aside and surrendered honestly. At the same time, Ewald Cristaldi and Vasco Strada who were considered to be the masterminds had also surrendered. “We have lost, there will be no resistance.”
That jisan Strada said; because he had to be interrogated, he walked towards a specific transportation magic circle. Walburga was hit…endured my Crimson Blaster without significant injuries. It looks like when she was hit by the attack, she had already created a new defensive barrier. But, because she fainted, she was tied up on the spot and transferred to a certain department of the Underworld. …Although it was discovered after Walburga was defeated…. There were purple flames which fell beside her. Ikuse Tobio-san who seemed familiar with it had to use a special lantern to collect these flames. Ikuse-san said
“This Longinus is different from the other Sacred Gears which will move on to their next host, but there are also circumstances in which it will move towards its host. Although this is that witch’s Sacred Gear, there is also the possibility that it will become someone else’s Sacred Gear afterwards. If anything, this Sacred Gear seems like it is hosted within a person’s will, and has the special ability to change its host. Therefore, if it isn’t collected, it will wander about in search of an owner.”
So that’s what it was. …Such a Longinus exists. So this was an independent type? W-Well, Sairaorg-san’s Lion was transformed from an axe…. Vali’s and my Longinus were also undergoing incredible changes. Longinus contained within them extraordinary abilities beyond ordinary Sacred Gears. However, my nakamawere also constantly becoming stronger…. The blades of Kiba’s holy-demonic swords no longer had any shadows, a beautiful holy and demonic aura floated across the blade. After Xenovia went through various experiences, she reverted to her original style, and brought her usage of Durandal and Excalibur to the next level. Saji’s Balance Breaker was also becoming more and more frightening, and even Shinra-senpai’s Balance Breaker was quite terrifying…. Arthur who had quickly left was also a swordsman with considerable strength. If Dulio, Vali, and Sairaorg-san were included in that…. …In the case of an emergency, such a team would be able to confront a [God] class opponent without a doubt. While I was thinking about this, that jisan Strada walked up to us then stopped and took something out from his pocket. “Firstly, I’ll give this to you.”
What he took out was a stack of letters. “Sister Asia, do you remember me?”
Asia nodded in response to Strada who had asked. “Yes, we had only greeted each other once.”
“Hmm, you are not only a truly devout believer, yet also a gentle girl. —Please accept these.”
Strada handed the letters over to Asia, and Asia received them with surprise. “This is…?”
“They’re letters of thanks from the people that you cured with your power.”
“—”
Asia was lost for words. …They were letters of thanks from the time when Asia cured people as a nun. The jisan Strada continued speaking
“After you left the Church, these letters still continued to come to us.”
“…Why did you give these to me? Wouldn’t it have been better to dispose of them directly…?”
Strada pulled Asia’s hand, and smiled gently. “…When I heard that you were going to be excommunicated, I wanted to search for where you would be as soon as possible…but, I did not make it in time. —I’m very sorry.”
These words to Asia — made her well up with tears. Jisan — always wanted to save Asia…! “…I…that…!”
“I hope that you’ll write back to the people who sent these letters, or go to ask them how they are. —I have already arranged for that. If you want to meet them, you just need to let the Church know.”
Strada stroked Asia’s head as she was crying emotionally, and Asia tried not to make any noise as she cried. I see, what Asia did in the Church to save those lives — it wasn’t in vain! Even just knowing this, I was glad! That jisan spoke to Azazel-sensei who arrived here after the battle next. “Former Governor-dono. It looks like those traitors who has been following us have showed up as well.”
“Ah, thank you.”
I was surprised at the conversation of these two people. Watching from behind, sensei explained from the beginning. “We knew from the beginning that that bastard Rizevim was the one who incited this rebellion. This also shows that there were traitors within the Church who colluded with that guy. So that’s why we wanted them to show up in the fight against the rebellion group. Sure enough, Walburga entered this field right? That is to say, the traitors told those guys about the magic circle technique to enter this field. We had anticipated that, made preparations, and could already narrow down who the traitor was.”
Judging by the situation, it seemed like the traitor had already been caught. Strada said
“Bringing the rebellion group to this place was also to draw out this person. It was trouble for the former Fallen Angel Governor-dono though.”
Well, sensei just said that jisan Strada and the others came to bear the responsibility as the masterminds behind the rebellion with one of the reasons being to lure out the traitor…. | text_19 |
Well, when there were shady things going on internally, ending the rebellion wouldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be a second rebellion. Between sensei and Strada, there were things that they understood without having to speak about it face to face. Sensei nodded. “No worries. Well, it was also an opportunity for these young people to fight. But it was also a way to try out Rossweisse’s barrier and sealing technique.”
Rossweisse-san smiled proudly. “Naturally, it was good that the intruders were caught in one fell swoop, but it’s also fortunate that the field didn’t continue to be destroyed.”
According to what she said, this field’s structure was incredibly sturdy, thanks to which, even after our large battle, it could still remain here without collapsing. …Although it was still being researched, Rossweisse-san’s sealing and barrier technique let sensei know about its issues. The evil dragons which were captured after they had their abilities stopped, also for the purposes of research or experimentation, were sent to various organisations. —At that time, Strada fumbled with something in his pockets again, and took out a small vial. “Former Governor Azazel-dono, there is something that I wish to give you. This is one of the things to compensate for the trouble this time. It wouldn’t hurt to keep it.”
Sensei received the small vial. Inside…was something like a shard of pottery. Sensei’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw it, and then murmured
“…Ah, indeed, it’s this.”
“Sensei, what is that?”
After I asked my question, sensei replied
“…It’s a fragment of the Holy Grail. It’s the real thing.”
“—! ?”
This information caught all the members of [DxD] by surprise! Eh, of course we would be surprised by it! He actually said it was a real fragment of the Holy Grail! Was that really true!? Sensei seemed to confirm his own thoughts by asking Strada
“That is the case isn’t it, Strada?”
Strada silently nodded. Strada then turned to look at Rias and Kiba. “There is also Rias Gremory’s [Knight]. —Isaiah, I heard you were called that by your nakama while you were in the facility.”
After hearing that name, Kiba was extremely shocked. “—. …Why would you know that?”
Isaiah…. It was Kiba’s name when he was in the facility? That guy, he actually never told us about that. Strada continued
“After many repeated experiments, there were many children who could not return; mainly because they lost their lives that they couldn’t return. —There was only one exception. Tosca; do you have any memory that name?”
Kiba was taken aback, his eyes widened. Then, he could not help nodding. Strada turned his eyes towards his subordinates. Then, a young girl emerged from a group of warriors. It was a girl around twelve to thirteen with white hair tied into twin tails. As soon as she saw Kiba, she frantically covered her mouth, and tried to hold back the tears which were gushing out from her eyes. “…Isaiah?”
The girl asked that question. Kiba was in shock as tears streamed down his cheeks. “……! I-Is, h-how would…! You’re Tosca…?”
“…Mmm.”
Strada said to the speechless Kiba and us
“Only this one girl with a strong barrier type Sacred Gear survived. It was discovered after the experiment, and Valper was unable to do anything. Although the user was in a state of suspended animation, it wasn’t possible to be released, and researchers had no choice but to place her into a deep hidden chamber within the facility. And she herself, when Valper was expelled, was found during a search of the facility, but we also were unable to release the barrier. However, after the alliance, we were finally able to release that barrier by using the Fallen Angels’ technology.”
…Still alive! One of Kiba’s comrades was still alive! And that person was actually recovered by the people of the Church! Strada said
“Because she was held in a state of suspended animation whilst inside the barrier, her body’s growth stopped, and it looked like she was very weak. Thus, bringing her to this country took some time.”
The girl walked to Kiba’s side, and then extended her hand out to caress his cheek. “Isaiah, you’ve already grown up…. …We were clearly the same back then.”
The girl stood on her tiptoes to look at Kiba. Kiba held her hand which was stroking his cheek, and shook his head tearfully. “…It’s okay, it’s okay…. …This is fine.”
After reuniting after such a long time, they hugged each other—. “It’s too good. Isaiah is alive and well.”
“—. ……Ah, I see…. That explains it…. You, you guys, I…alive…being alive is everything….”
……. …Neither I nor my nakama who were lost for words, could do anything but shed tears for their reunion. …Kiba, it’s truly great. What you’ve lived for until now, it exists! Because you’ve lived until now, you were able to see this girl again! That’s right, you should celebrate for being alive as long as you can! It’ll be enough as long as you can continue to live happily! Because those children never thought about revenge! That jisan Strada said as he watched that scene unfold
“Take this child with you. If she’s kept with the Church, there might be people who would want to take advantage of her.”
Kiba said as he was hugging the girl
“Your Eminence Strada…I…”
Strada shook his head. “You don’t need to forgive me, Knight. If you forgive me, it’ll make your blade dull. Let the space between the holy and demonic become the source of your power.”
“…Your Eminence Strada.”
That jisan Strada also touched Xenovia’s head. “Warrior Xenovia. Your fight alongside Sekiryuutei-kid…was very elegant. —Love, maiden Xenovia. Durandal also seems to be more forgiving because there is love.”
After saying that, Strada walked towards the transportation magic circle because he had to be interrogated. I—called out to the jisan and asked
“Wait a minute…you, the first thing you did was give Asia those letters, and then there’s Kiba’s comrade, as well as the fragment of the Holy Grail; did you prepare all of this before the battle started?”
Strada remained silent. He simply revealed a smile on his wrinkled face, and then lifted his right fist into the air. I could only watch that jisan’s tall back — it faded into the receding light of the magic circle. Vasco Strada—. The father of the Church warriors—. Asia, Kiba, and Xenovia were people who were distressed as they found themselves caught between the Church and themselves. The Cardinal who embodied power appeared to give them an answer—. He was truly a great man—. A few days after that battle—. It was the day after Ravel left for the Underworld. It was finally the day where the candidates in the Student Council Election would give their speeches! After all the teachers and students of the school were gathered in the gym, they would listen to the candidates’ final speeches before voting. This would be the most crucial moment for Xenovia. As the candidates spoke one after another, Saji, who was running for Vice-President stepped onto the stage. | text_19 |
“That, my reason for running to be the Vice-President of the Student Council is—”
Saji spoke about reasonable things through the microphone. Well, it was really down to earth stuff that he would talk about. The response from the students was alright. “Yo, we’re looking forward to the star of the sports clubs!”
Although there was the sound of some booing, there was some laughter, but it was still a commendable speech overall. “—To sum up, while I am continuing the policies of the former President, I plan to operate the Student Council in a flexible way. Those of the sports clubs, especially the boys! Even if you vote for me, if you don’t properly listen to what I say, I’ll be very troubled; after I’m elected, please listen to at least two thirds of what I say.”
The sound of laughter from the students continued until the end, and Saji’s speech concluded. Oh, the students’ response was good. With that, it should ensure his votes. “Next up, the speeches from the candidates for Student Council President. Hanakai-san, if you please.”
Hanakai-san got up from the chair on the stage when she was called, and stood before the microphone. Hanakai-san spoke with a quiet voice. “The reason why I am running for Student Council President is — I’ve always been watching and following Sona-senpai’s model closely, while succeeding the former President’s will, at the same time, I want to build a new Kuoh Academy together with everyone.”
Her speech was rational, and straight to the point, which allowed the students to easily understand its meaning. Hanakai-san candidly recounted her thoughts and experiences when she was closely watching Sona-zenkaichou, and with the attitude and expression in her eyes that the next Student Council should have, she clearly and concisely described her new vision for Kuoh Academy to the students. It was an interesting speech which made the students feel Hanakai-san’s sincerity towards the Student Council. “—The person who was just described, the concept that the new Kuoh Academy Student Council should be was raised by Hanakai. Please give her a round of applause.”
Many students applauded. …Everyone was quietly listening to her speech…. If this continued, all of the votes would go to Hanakai-san! Then, the last person to get up from their seat on the stage was—. “Finally, it’s Xenovia-san who is also running for Student Council President. Please begin your speech.”
It was Xenovia! It was also the finale! Woah, I was feeling nervous even before she was in front of the microphone! “Xenovia-chan, you’ll be fine!”
“I-I’ll still cast a vote for Xenovia-san even if she doesn’t do well in her speech!”
Sitting on my left and right, Matsuda and Motohama were shrouded with tension as her fans. …In fact, last night, I let Xenovia practice her speech with me. The content was perfect. Asia, Irina, and Kiryuu also helped her, making a summary of her main points; the content was beautiful and the speech was easy to understand. —But, it felt as though it wasn’t Xenovia’s style of writing. If it was her…it should be more in line with her, and it would be good if it only had what Xenovia would say. Although I thought that, I was still waiting for Xenovia to stand before the microphone. Finally, Xenovia stood before the microphone, and looked at the entire school. She then took her speech out, and was about to begin. —But, as soon as she opened her mouth, Xenovia plunged into a brief moment of thought. Following that, she put her speech back into her pocket. Then, after adjusting her breathing, Xenovia began her speech. “…Before this age, I was someone with little knowledge of the world who was brought up in a Church-related facility. Before I came to this school, I didn’t have the chance to apply the word ‘student’ to myself. In terms of my education of this country, I have about ten years’ worth of time, not in school, but receiving education in the Church.”
The sudden speech caused the students to make a commotion, but even so, Xenovia continued speaking. “I’m running Student Council President because my life in this school was very happy. I attended school for the first time since I was born. Here, I never felt bored. The various subjects were good, engaging with classmates during break was also fun, the activities of the Occult Research Club were also fun, sports and cultural activities were also fun, the school trip to Kyoto was also great; all of it was very fresh, and I felt joy from the bottom of my heart. Although my way of expressing this isn’t very good, I think I like this kind of school the most. I like it so much that I ponder every time — is it really alright for such an interesting place to exist in the world? Also, I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all the students in this school who helped me. For taking good care of me even though I was ignorant of school life and many worldly things, thank you so much. Thus, the reason why I wanted to run for Student Council President is for this school, as well as a form of gratitude to be able to attend this school with everyone.”
That could be said to be a speech that was totally not for someone running to the Student Council President, rather, it was simply like someone’s personal feelings towards the school. Nonetheless, all of the students were listening intently. There was not a single person who looked down on or even ignored Xenovia. “I want to leave something behind at this school. Being the first school that I attended since I was born, my first experience of school life, the place which has given me something precious, I want to leave behind proof that I was once here. After becoming the Student Council President, for this school, for everyone in this school, perhaps this is a rather simple idea, but I came to this very naturally. I will become a Student Council President with a different style to the former President, and it will also feel as though there are many things which are not done as well. However, if you think so, then don’t hesitate to complain to me about it, and vent your dissatisfaction. I will do my best to respond to it! If there are any problems, I hope that you’ll be able to trust me! I will definitely try to help you! I will definitely use my position as Student Council President to protect everyone in this school! In the past year, this school and its students have given me ten years’ worth of happiness as I was unable to attend school previously. Because of this, in the space of my remaining year, I want to do my best to protect this school, and protect the students that I am grateful to! I want to create a Kuoh Academy that will be loved by everyone!”
Everyone understood that it was a heartfelt speech with all her effort. Seeing Xenovia who tried her best to convey her deepest thoughts through the microphone, everyone was able to understand that they were her genuine thoughts—. Finally, Xenovia said with a wide smile
“Everyone, make this become a happy Kuoh Academy. No, I’ll do it. | text_19 |
So, I’d like everyone to please take care of me.”
An intense wave of cheering and applause erupted — reverberating in front of Xenovia who was bowing. “Wooooooohhhhhhhh!”
“Xenovia-chan! That was amazing!”
“So reliable, Xenovia-san!”
“So cool, Xenovia-senpai!”
“I’m voting for you! Yeah! !”
The sound of cheers rang out unlike before. Even when the teachers reminded everyone “Quiet! Quiet”, the students’ excitement did not drop! Hanakai-san previously spoke about her love for the Student Council. But, in contrast, Xenovia — spoke about her love for the students and the school. I thought that that was the most notable part of their speeches. Looking closely, whether it was Asia or Irina, or even Kiryuu — they were shedding tears as they offered their applause. After the speeches ended, and the voting also ended, I saw someone familiar as I was on my way to leave the gym. After catching up to them — I realised that it was Sister Griselda. She had been using a handkerchief to wipe her eyes, and seemed to have noticed me approaching. “…Griselda-san, you also came.”
“…Hmm, I’m older yet still immature, I actually cried because of that child’s speech…. I really am weak when it comes to tears.”
Although Griselda-san’s cheeks were wet from her tears, she still continued
“…Even the [Slashing Princess] who would raise her sword against anyone actually revealed such a bright smile…”
“It was a wonderful speech.”
After I expressed my thoughts wholeheartedly, the sister smiled proudly. “—Because she’s the [imouto]that I’m proud of.”
The person who appeared then was Xenovia. “Oh, Ise. Sister Griselda as well! You came!”
“Wouldn’t it be a problem if you leave the gym?”
After I asked, Xenovia cheerfully replied with
“I came to get some fresh air.”
Xenovia grabbed my arm as she replied, and then said to Sister Griselda
“Yes, exactly! I’ll take this opportunity to tell you directly! Sister, I also want to use the room that Irina got from Michael, what do you think?”
—! T-This giiirrll! After giving such a wonderful speech, she actually said something like this! And this sister — her emotional state immediately changed. With her temples throbbing, she revealed an oppressive smile, and used both her hands to pinch Xenovia’s cheeks. “…You child! Return my excitement!”
“…Ahh ouch, no, but, I think that I should let sister [as my sister] know…”
“You really are a disastrous [imouto]!”
Hahaha, what should I say, it really suits Xenovia’s style. Since that day, Xenovia used — Quarta as her surname. It showed once again that Griselda-san really considered her to be her [imouto], while it also showed again that Xenovia treated her as her [ane]. Then, the results of the Student Council election were announced at a later date—. Aside from the position of Student Council President, most of the other positions could be predicted by their speeches, but the dramatic competition for President was decided only by a narrow margin. After knowing the outcome of the results, Hanakai-san said with a smile —
“I think this is good. Because this is just like Kuoh Academy.”
New members of the Kuoh Academy Student Council
Student Council President / Xenovia Quarta (second year)
Vice-President / Saji Genshirou (second year)
Secretary / Meguri Tomoe (second year), Kamo Tadami (second year), Nakiri Ouryuu (first year)
Treasurer / Kusaka Reya (second year), Nimura Ruroko (first year), Miraka Vordenburg (first year)
This is what happened on the day of the party to celebrate Xenovia becoming the Student Council President. That day, after the commotion of the party mostly subsided, Azazel-sensei gathered everyone of the Occult Research Club in the lab. Sensei just briefly explained the reason why he called us to the lab…but it was really shocking news! Deep inside the lab, after passing through several stringently arranged doors, we arrived before a rather isolated intensive care room. Through the glass, we could see Valerie Tepes who was connected to numerous machines. Because the Holy Grail which was taken by Qlippoth had not been returned to her, she was in a state where she couldn’t wake up. The two people who entered the intensive care room were — Gasper and Azazel-sensei. Gasper who went to Valerie’s side gently stroked his benefactor’s hair. Apparently Gasper came here every two days, telling her what had happened every day while she was still asleep. Those two people who rarely saw each other…were clearly in front of each other, yet felt so far away; that guy always had a lonesome expression when he spoke to her. After Azazel-sensei placed his briefcase onto the table and opened it, he took something out of it. It was a necklace with some kind of fragment in the centre—. That fragment — was the fragment of the Holy Grail which was obtained from Vasco Strada a few days ago. So the reason why sensei called us here today was…to use the fragment of the real Holy Grail so that Valerie could awaken! When we heard about this news earlier, we were all really surprised! The fragment of the Holy Grail which we got from that muscular jisan could actually do this…. The Grigori was able to make a necklace using that fragment. Sensei walked over to Valerie who was lying on the bed with it. Through a set of speakers, we were able to hear the conversation inside the room. “…Can Valerie really wake up with that?”
Gasper asked sensei with moist eyes. Sensei revealed a gentle smile and said
“Ah, I said before that this was insufficient to replace the Holy Grail within this girl’s body. This is a necklace made from a genuine fragment of the Holy Grail, so if it’s worn by her, then perhaps—”
Sensei quietly placed the necklace around Valerie’s neck. After silently observing for a while—. “……Uh.”
A noise was emitted from Valerie’s mouth! After continuing to observe for a while, albeit slowly, her eyes were gradually opening! The lights made Valerie who was looking up at the ceiling feel uncomfortable for a moment. “…Uh…Ahh…huh…?”
It seemed like she was conscious. Gasper’s face approached hers. His face — had already been crying. Even so, Gasper still tried to smile and asked Valerie
“…Valerie. Do you know, it’s me?”
Facing Gasper who was holding her hand, Valerie smiled. “……Ara, if this isn’t Gasper. Good morning.”
That blank tone — was exactly the same as Valerie Tepe’s when we met her in the Vampire’s country. “Valerie…Valerie…!”
Gasper, who couldn’t control his emotions, kept on shouting Valerie’s name as he cried on her chest. He probably wanted to see her again, and probably wanted to talk to her again. This was because when we rescued her, she — was already unconscious. Valerie gently patted Gasper who was crying on her chest. “Ufufu, it really is Gasper! What is it? Such a crybaby.”
…I…could only shed tears as I watched them. But, it was great! It really was great! I didn’t think that it was actually possible to wake her up in this way! Looking closely, all of us were crying as we watched Gasper and Valerie’s reunion. | text_19 |
Ah, that’s right! It really is too good, Gya-suke! There was no longer anyone who could hinder these two now! Not possible! If there was someone like that, I, Gasper, and everyone definitely wouldn’t forgive them! Sensei heaved a sigh of relief as he watched those two. “This really was a serious gamble. As an emergency measure, isn’t it good that it went well?”
Sensei said to Gasper as he lifted his head. “Listen carefully, Gasper. There is one thing that you have to keep in mind. Firstly, she always has to wear this necklace. I can’t guarantee what will happen if she goes outside. Also, as long as we haven’t recovered Valerie’s Holy Grail which is in Qlippoth’s hands, she can’t go outside. After this, the area immediately around the Hyoudou household — the apartments that you and Kiba live in are also included in this area, will have a special barrier. That is to say, as long as she’s wearing the necklace, she’ll be fine as long as she doesn’t leave this area.”
I see, so this awakening was just a temporary measure; if her original Holy Grail isn’t returned to her, she won’t be able to obtain true freedom. So that’s why a special barrier had to be erected around my house to allow her to safely move about. Rias spoke to sensei who was in the treatment room through the glass. “…His Eminence Strada, while losing the challenge, he gave us a lot of useful things.”
“That’s what that man is like. He’ll find a reason just to give that to us. He’s the type that uses his fists to communicate. He got rid of the rebellion’s dissatisfaction, and at the same time, didn’t forget to think about us. That’s the kind of man he is.”
…No matter whether it was Asia, Kiba, Xenovia, or even Gasper; they were all saved by that jisan Strada’s consideration. That jisan…had prepared all of that before he even stood before us. Sensei said
“…I guess it could be thought of as insurance.”
“Insurance?”
Hearing my question, sensei continued. “In the worst case scenario where it isn’t possible for us to recover Valerie’s Holy Grail from those guys, we also have the option of destroying it. …If the Holy Grail was being abused by those guys”
Well, that is to say, the possibility of that also exists. Although I wanted to retrieve it, if it became a situation where it was only possible to choose either the world or the Holy Grail…. I was filled with the desire to return it, and if it became possible, I would risk my life for it. However, it wasn’t surprising that there were people who were worried about the worst possible scenario. Sensei muttered
“However, in the hands of those guys, they’ll probably use Valerie’s Holy Grail like a shield. That guy Strada, he clearly knew about the enemy’s approach, but he’s also able to understand our side when things like this happen.”
Shield, huh. Ah, that bastard Rizevim would probably do something like that happily. In other words, that jisan Strada thought about this a while ago. “The higher ups of the Church provided the fragment of the Holy Grail to reduce our hesitation in the scenario where we would confront Rizevim but he would use Valerie’s Holy Grail as a shield.”
—Rias said. “Ah, that’s right, Rias. It would dampen the resolve of the members of [DxD]; it could be said that Strada and the Church thought that a single fragment of a Holy Relic, the Holy Grail was rather inexpensive in comparison. Well, in the event that you guys who are at the forefront have to face Valerie’s Holy Grail which is used as a shield, the Holy Grail is of no significance if the world is destroyed.”
Compared to fighting against Qlippoth on the front lines for the various mythologies, a fragment of the real Holy Grail could be said to be a cheap price to ease our concerns. “It’s best to reduce our worries as much as possible. To be honest, this is a great benefit for us psychologically.”
Rossweisse-san felt impressed by that jisan Strada’s actions. “Regardless of whether it was Yuuto-senpai’s comrade, or this fragment of the Holy Grail, they were handed to us through that rebellion. To apologise for causing this rebellion in this way…”
Koneko-chan’s words made Kiba close his eyes. “…In order to give these to us, he intentionally took on the responsibility for it. Although it was an aggressive approach, when Trihexa’s revival becomes a threat, coupled with Rizevim’s schemes, this would certainly be a good thing…”
“Regardless of whether it was the fragment of the Holy Grail, or the survivor of the [Holy Sword Project], they were secrets within the Church. It’s definitely not something which comes free to us. That’s because of their long battle against Devils and Fallen Angels. Using the unrest within the Church to give us these. —Strada is a tough guy to deal with.”
Although sensei spoke in a reluctant tone, there was a sense of admiration in it. Because a precious fragment of the real Holy Grail was given to Devils and Vampires who are their enemies, complex situations and feelings would arise within the Church, but even so, there was nothing that could be done about their dissatisfaction. It seemed that after being questioned, that jisan Strada was imprisoned along with Ewald Cristaldi. …Without any excuses, he willingly took responsibility for it. They claimed that there was little room for consideration between the higher ups of the Three Factions, hence the rebellion was not entirely useless. …However, they still had to bear some punishment…. I shook my head, and changed my mood. “Well, even so, I’m still filled with the desire to get Valerie’s Holy Grail back.”
I firmly declared. Of course, what was stolen definitely had to be returned. Regarding this, [of course] everyone unanimously agreed. Sensei suddenly asked Kiba
“—Say, Kiba. How is the comrade that you just reunited with?”
He was talking about Tosca-san. Kiba said shyly
“E-Eh! Ba…basically, after we told her about what’s happened these past few years, and also about Kuoh town, I introduced her to everyone. I feel like there are a lot of things she doesn’t understand, so she will need me and everyone to teach her various things next.”
Yes, going between the apartments that Kiba lived in and the Hyoudou household, Tosca-san began to learn about various things. As she had never left the Church’s facilities, there were many culture shocks for her, so Asia and Xenovia who had similar experiences were helping her. It seemed like her top priority was to learn Japanese first. When Kiba spoke — as if possessed by something, he seemed to have a gentle expression. …To become a sheath to this guy that I’ve always been concerned about. Kiba had said that he was determined to protect her forever. For it to become like this, I’m worried for Shinra-senpai…. But Shinra-senpai didn’t seem to have given up. “Yes, a very powerful rival! Anyway, I also need to win over Hyoudou-kun!”
—She was in high spirits. I’m also counted as a rival!? Seriously, please give me a break, Shinra-senpai! | text_19 |
Sensei suddenly confessed
“…Phew, somehow my worries are disappearing one by one on their own. After that, I’m just waiting for you guys to grow and defeat Qlippoth.”
Sensei’s words were full of expectations! Please wait a little longer for that! That side had gathered formidable enemies, so just preparing for that would take a lot of effort! —Suddenly, Akeno-san seemed to have been contacted by someone, so she created a magic circle on the floor for communication. Projected out from it was Sona-zenkaichou. “Rias, is it convenient for you at the moment?”
Her expression was rather tense. “What is it, Sona? For you to contact me so urgently…”
“It’s about Raiser Phoenix’s game…”
“Come to think of it, it’s not surprising for the results to be released around this time.”
Yes, we had already been contacted by Ravel to tell us that Raiser’s game would be today. But, the tension on Sona-zenkaichou’s expression intensified. “……”
“…Sona?”
To Rias who asked in surprise, Sona-zenkaichou broke the silence. “Raiser Phoenix and Ravel-san—”
That sentence carried with it a dreadful sense of foreboding—. Watching the video recording after the incident, only a handful of people saw this top secret. This was Diehauser Belial’s rating game. The video of the The Champion of 10 Rounds>> was recorded. It happened in the third round. Diehauser Belial’s opponent was the third son of the Phoenix family — Raiser Phoenix. The location of the battle was an ancient ruin deep underground. Some parts of the video were shaky and unclear, so please forgive me. After 30 minutes into the rating game, the peerages had been mostly defeated, thus Raiser Phoenix decided to enter the outskirts of the ruins, a dome shaped cavern. Because ordinary cameras were not able to capture the entire area, this camera was not used for the audience, but was a hidden camera for monitoring. Raiser Phoenix entered the cave with his sister, the bishop Ravel Phoenix. Upon reaching the centre of the cave, and entering the open space, they waited for Champion Diehauser Belial. After encountering Belial, he said
“Diehauser-dono, I sincerely thank you for showing us a good game, the only member of my peerage left is the [Bishop] who my sister is. My defeat is inevitable. Although somewhat presumptuous, I want to have a one on one match against kings here.”
Raiser had a fearless expression. “Onii-sama, you think the same way as Ise-sama. It looks like he had some influence on you.”
“Shh, be quiet! A battle of kings against each other will make the audience excited! A little bit of fan service!”
“Fine, whatever.”
Ordinary conversation between siblings. But, the Champion smiled deeply. “An exciting match…eh. Raiser Phoenix-dono, an exciting match…what do you mean?”
Raiser made a surprised expression. The Champion continued
“From start to finish, using clever tactics to overwhelm opponents, or a last-minute comeback victory, or going all out against each other. I…think that in my time of the games, I’ve experienced all of them.”
The Champion shook his head. “…No, that’s a lie. I, aside from when I’ve been pressured, I’ve won in the way that I intended it to be. If you want to know what a reversal and equal fight is, it’s something that I intentionally allow the game to develop into.”
Raiser was confused. “Diehauser-dono, what are you actually trying to say?”
“…Raiser-dono, I have not lost since I was born. I’ve done everything. I’ve achieved everything. I have never seen defeat in a rating game.”
“Diehauser-dono, I don’t know what your intention is…. But, please allow me to ask one thing. Why are you telling me this? Do you need to confide your feelings with me in this game?”
“…Unsophisticated, I want to say. No, it really lacks style. For the players to speak of unnecessary things in these sacred games; they should be saying nothing but insults at each other. I’m currently doing this as the Champion; what an awful Champion.”
The Champion shook his head. His entire body released a mass of energy. The Champion’s hand extended in front of him as he was ready to release an enormous amount of demonic energy. Sensing something, Ravel Phoenix stood in front to protect her brother, who was the [King]. “Onii-sama! Get out of here quickly! This person’s attack—”
A spear of demonic energy suddenly appeared from the side and pierced through Ravel Phoenix’s abdomen. The demonic energy in the Champion’s hands looked like it was just a feint. Ravel Phoenix who had received a fatal injury was bleeding from her abdomen. But, the game’s emergency retiring mechanism when someone received a fatal injury did not activate. The Phoenix’s special ability didn’t respond, and his sister was simply lying flat on the ground; Raiser held her up. “Ravel?”
He called her name but there was no response, and she remained still. The Champion shook his head. “…Even if she is invulnerable, against my [Worthless] ability, it looks like it’s useless. There is also a special barrier within this cave. Transportation will not occur, and the events which occur in here won’t be transmitted to the outside.”
The Belial family’s special ability is [Worthless], and as its name implies, it will turn the opponent’s special ability into something worthless for a short period of time. In this case, the Phoenix family’s special ability [Immortality] became worthless, so Ravel Phoenix’s regeneration was cancelled. In addition, at this time, just as the Champion said, the cave had a strange barrier. But at the time, no one was aware that the current situation was abnormal. “……”
Raiser was silent. Anger was causing his body to tremble. “…Damn it. Damn it, Diehaaauuusserrrrrrrr!!!! !”
The Champion expressionlessly looked at Raiser who was shouting angrily. The Champion said to Raiser
“Raiser Phoenix-dono, don’t you think it’s strange? Why in the [Evil Pieces], [—-] of [————]? Eight pawns, two knights, bishops rooks and also a queen. Originally there should have been [—-], the pieces were given something [——–] instead.”
The Champion took something out of his pocket. Because it was confidential, a part of it was blurred out. The thing that the Champion took out had been edited. That matter is confidential. “—That is!”
The Champion showed the questioning Raiser the object in his hand as he said
“—[—-] of [—-], [Evil Pieces], the Maou who made them, Ajuka Beelzebub, not me. Yet he created them. The method to produce them was destroyed after they were made. This [—-] rumour is not unheard of. Urban legends, rumours like [—-] of [——–] are rather famous amongst the Devils who like to gossip. Among my cousins, there is one who is very fond of rumours, the gossiping type of girl. By chance, that cousin had her territory in Japan’s [————], she found the reclusive Ajuka Beelzebub-sama in the vicinity by accident. So she—”
The audio here is edited as it is highly confidential. After ‘So she’, the audio had been modified greatly. “There is only one of [——–]. | text_19 |
People who were given it, they could do things like [————] and [————]. So they [————] and [————]. Ajuka Beelzebub-sama is simply too extraordinary.”
“What do you intend to do with that?”
Raiser asked. “You don’t need to know.”
The Champion released demonic energy towards Raiser. The video here is unclear, and the image could not be recognised for several seconds. When the scene was visible again, Raiser and Ravel Phoenix were both lying on the ground. Both of them were completely motionless. At this time, a change occurred within the cave. Accompanied by a teal coloured glow, a magic circle appeared. An enormous creature emerged from the magic circle. After witnessing this, the Champion exclaimed in admiration
“—I have heard the rumours. When unpredictable events occur in a rating game, or when a game is played maliciously, there will be a corresponding response undertaken secretly.”
That’s surprising for you to say. Did you specifically call me out here? >>
The large creature with pale blue scales — the dragon asked the Champion. “—The Dragon Queen with celestial blue scales, the Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat. The referee behind the rating games, and also one of the real administrators…”
Within the rules or special competitions of the rating games, when the worst imaginable situation occurs, certain emergency measures will be activated. For example, if players are forced to retire by transportation, but are unsuccessful, the referees will intervene in the game as a special case to handle the event. Starting from about one hundred and fifty years ago, that role was taken up by one of the five Dragon Kings — the Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat. However, situations such as these are extremely rare, and it has only occurred twice in the past. The dragon Tiamat entered an offensive stance against the Champion. Don’t blame me. I’m doing this according to my agreement with Ajuka Beelzebub, to correct the abnormalities of the games. >>
“Known as the strongest of the Dragon Kings, that is rather commendable.”
Silence, this is only my gratitude towards Ajuka. I don’t serve anyone and I don’t take orders from anyone. >>
“Exactly. She is one of the various people who have an important position in my games, Champion Belial-dono.”
A third person’s voice resounded within the cave as light from a transportation magic circle glowed. The person who came forth from the magic circle was the Maou Ajuka Beelzebub. Tiamat spoke with a tone of surprise towards Ajuka
—You also came directly here. It seems that this is a rather serious matter. >>
“Well, this isn’t something that we can let Sirzechs or that old man of Bael see.”
The Champion greeted him
“I’m honoured to be able to meet you. Transcender — Maou Ajuka-sama. I understand your reason for coming here, Ajuka-sama, that is—”
Halfway through Diehauser Belial’s sentence, in the instant that Ajuka Beelzebub opened his mouth, the video suddenly ended. Yes, the video broke off there. | text_19 |
I’m Hyoudou Issei. People call me “Ise”. I’m a 2nd year high school student. Unfortunately, I’m not a “normal high school student”. That’s because I happen to be a Devil. No, I’m serious. It's just that I was reincarnated into a Devil. Well, that’s not important right now. Just think of me as a high school Devil. That’s what I am, but I don’t know what to do with the situation happening right in front of me. For some reason, I’m in a place which looks like a chapel. There are familiar faces around me. “Damn it! For Ise to get married!”
“It’s some kind of mistake! This is some kind of conspiracy!”
The bald headed Matsuda, and Motohama who is wearing glasses. My two evil pals are sending out words to me while putting on an envious look. “Ise! I want my first grandchild to be a girl!”
“Sob, you have grown! You were a worthless child whose only pride was his desire to have sex!”
Both my parents are crying. Stop saying such things! I’m wearing a white tuxedo. It’s like a wedding scene. Wait, this is a wedding scene. Even the wedding song is being played within this chapel. Mine!? Is it my wedding!? I became astonished at this sudden and shocking situation, then what about my bride? Who is my bride? “Ise, you can’t look around restlessly.”
A familiar voice comes from my side. When I look to my side, there is a beauty, Rias Gremory-buchou, who has her crimson hair down to her hips standing right there. She is the one who turned me into a Devil, and she happens to be a High-class Devil who holds a peerage. I'm the servant Devil of Rias-buchou and also her servant. More than that, she looks so gorgeous in her wedding dress that I can’t directly look at her. Sob, Buchou, you look so beautiful! And Buchou who is in such clothing is standing right besides me! So that means she’s my——. “Rias-sama! You look so beautiful!”
“Aaah, Rias-oneesama! Why on earth are you marrying a guy like that! ?”
Screams can be heard from various part of the chapel. So no one will praise me huh……
I-I see, so this is Rias-buchou and my wedding! I can’t believe it. So Buchou and I got into that sort of relationship without me realising it, and our relation progressed this far. Ah, I don’t really get it, but if I can marry Buchou who I admire, then there’s no problem at all! “At all times, thee—”
The geezer priest is apparently saying the wedding vows, but my head is filled with other things. Marriage = husband and wife. Husband and wife = family. Family = children. Children = making babies. Making babies = sexual relation. Sexual relation = husband and wife’s love affair. Husband and wife’s love affair = starts from the first night of marriage. ……First night of marriage……
The first night of our marriage!? [Come here, Ise.] Buchou is laying on the bed naked inside my imagination. This means that I can, right? I mean, we are husband and wife after all, so we need to make a family. A child is a must when you start a family. And to make a child, we need to do a certain thing. And that certain thing is sex. …………
I can have sex with Buchou!! Reaching that conclusion, my head became full with excitement and I wasn’t able to stop imagining lots of naughty stuff. I see, so the reason why I didn’t have any luck with these kinds of things in the past is because it was for this day. For tonight! A-Am I be able to finish the task until the end safely!? N-No, if it’s about knowledge, then I am an expert! I have been simulating it every day in my head! In other words, I'm an ace-pilot in mock battles! I'm an elite who only needs to taste the real battle! “Now you may kiss the bride.”
What!? Yeah, that’s it, now I remember! This is the first thing I have to do! The kiss in a chapel! A kiss with Buchou! When I look to my side, Buchou has her eyes closed and her face is approaching me! Can I!? I can right!? Alright! Alright! Buchou’s lip is mine! Her lips look so soft. The lipstick makes them sparkle and my head feels like it’s about to spin around. And soon, this will belong to me! I can’t stop myself from being excited when I think about it! While breathing hard from my nose, I stick my lips forward and gradually approach Buchou——. [Looks like you're having fun, shitty brat.] ——!? A mysterious voice echoes within my head. It a low voice with an impact in it. I don’t recall this voice. But somehow I feel like I know this voice. A voice which has always been close to me……
[That’s right. I'm right beside you.] ……Who is this? I look around me, and the chapel is nowhere to be seen now. Buchou who was right next to me is also gone. Everyone including my parents and friends are gone as well! Rather than that, where am I? I’m losing all my senses. I lost my sense of balance and touch. I lost my sense of sight and hearing as well. It’s pitch-black right in front of me. Darkness. I can’t hear anything with my ears. It's silent. ……What is this? Buchou! Dad! Mum! Matsuda! Motohama! I shout the names of those I'm close with inside my heart, but there is no reply. What is happening to me? Whose voice is that? [It’s mine.] Uwaa! The sound didn’t come out from my mouth, but I’m really shocked within my heart. Of course. Anyone will be scared if a gigantic monster appears right in front of them. It has big eyes. The colour of its eyes is red like a blood. A jaw that comes up to its ears, where lots of sharp fangs are growing out. There is a thick horn lining up on its forehead, and the scales that covers its body is red like a magma. It has thick arms and legs like those of a gigantic tree. The claws look very sharp and terrifying. More than that, its pair of wings that are spread to the sides makes this giant monster look even bigger. In front of me there is……a gigantic monster……and out of all the things I know, the thing that resembles it the most is a——. ——Dragon. It seems like it knows what I’m thinking even though I can’t speak, and it seems like the monster, a Dragon, which is in front of me lifts its mouth up a bit. [That’s it. That’s the right deduction. I've been trying to talk to you for the whole time. But, since you were really weak, my words didn’t reach you until now. Finally. Finally, I am able to appear in front of you.] ……What is this guy saying? I don’t get it. Appear? He has been trying to talk to me for the whole time? I don’t know. I don’t know about it! What? Is he trying to eat me? [Eat? Eat you who seems to taste awful? As if I would. That’s not it. I just wanted to introduce myself to my partner who I will be fighting along with from now on.] Partner? Hold on a second. I don’t even know what you are talking about! Dragon! Who are you——. [You already realised it, haven’t you? You probably thought about it. Yeah, that’s right. I'm exactly what you think I am. Let’s talk again. Aye, partner.] When I look at my left arm, it’s covered in red scales and it looks very abnormal because it has really sharp claws growing out from it. I open my eyes, and a familiar ceiling is in front of me. Aah, so that was a dream. | text_2 |
Looks like I had the best dream which also happened to be the worst dream. It was good at the start. My wedding with Buchou, whom I look up to. It was good until then, but after that……
My heart is beating fast. Anyone will if they have the same dream. I’m also breathing faster. I lift my upper body upright, and wipe the sweat on my forehead with my hand. Wow. So much sweat. I’m shocked at the unexpected amount of sweat I have. At the same time, I realised that I used my left arm to wipe it. That last scene……that red Dragon…… I can’t come to believe it since it had too much fantasy taste in it. There’s nothing wrong with my left arm which turned into that of a monster's arm at the end of my dream. But I do understand that there is something possessed in this arm. I look at the clock. It’s 4:30am…… It’s still a bit early. I take a deep breath and then went back inside my bed—. No, that isn’t it! I remember now! It's time! I got out of the bed and got ready. When I look outside from the window, there is a red haired beauty, Rias Gremory-buchou, who is wearing a red jersey and is standing at the gate. She is a senior and the school idol at the high school I go to. She is also the president of the Occult Research Club that I am in, and her real identity is a Devil. She looks this way with her blue eyes after she realises that I’m looking at her. ——Hurry up. She moves her lips like that while smiling. “I’m coming now!”
I changed into a jersey from my pyjamas immediately, and left the room to do the morning training. “Ze~ha~, ze~ha~.”
“Hey, don’t run so miserably. Or else I will add 10 more laps of dashing afterwards.”
I’m running in the residential area while losing my breath. Buchou who is behind me while riding a bicycle fires me up without hesitation. You are strict like always. About a month ago, I happen to be reincarnated as a Devil from a human. I became Buchou, Rias Gremory-sama’s servant Devil. Devils are beings that are summoned by humans, who then grants their wish in exchange of receiving a price from them. They happen to do those kinds of works on daily basis. Buchou is no exception. I have been working daily as a servant Devil of Buchou and am walking towards my goal, one step at a time. What's my goal? That’s obvious! “I’m going to become the Harem-King……ze~ha~……”
Those words slipped out from my mouth while I’m running. “That’s right, and for that you need to start from daily basic training. You have to become stronger, even by a bit.”
Yes, Buchou. I know that. I’m currently a new-born Devil, but if I make achievements and get promoted, then I can receive a peerage. If that happens, I can have my own servants just like Buchou. That’s right! I’m going to make lots of girls into my servant Devils, and I’m going to make my dream come true! For that, I need to get stronger just like Buchou said. Strength is absolute in the world of Devils. Simply put, the stronger you are, the easier you can aim higher. Well, you can rise up with knowledge, trading skills, and other kind of skills, but I have no talent in those area at the moment. So nothing will start unless I increase my stamina. That’s why I'm currently doing this training every day. But Buchou is a Spartan-instructor. “For my servant to be weak is something I can’t forgive.”
So she shows no mercy for my morning training. She makes me run for approximately 20km, and after that makes me do more than 100 laps of dashes. She also have me do various muscle trainings that I don’t even want to count how many of them I have done. Devils are the residence of night that unleashes their powers during night. I thought that it’s better to train at night rather than in the morning, but apparently that isn’t the case. According to Buchou, training while being under the sunlight that we are weak against makes us mentally stronger as well. I have been suffering from muscular pain every day, but getting used to it is a scary thing and it doesn’t hurt like it has in the beginning. Lately, I have been able to do them quite easily. It’s a proof that I have been improving daily. After all, I’m in a good state in physical education class. My short sprint record has shortened, and it isn’t that tiring to do long distance sprint any more. “Haahaa……”
I stopped running when I arrive at the park which happens to be the goal. I’m sweating from all over my body……
“Good job. Now, we’ll move on to the dashes.”
The Oni-Buchou’s smile is so dazzling. “Your ability has a meaning when your basics are high.”
“Yes……65……”
I started doing push-ups at the park after I completed the morning marathon and the dashes. Buchou is sitting on my back. The feeling of her soft buttocks feels superb, but I have no time to enjoy it since my arms are crying in pain. No, actually the feeling of her buttocks is the best! WHIP! “Auu!”
I had my butt slapped by Buchou…… Voice slips out from my mouth. I’m not a masochist either……
“You are having dirty thoughts. The movement of your hips is lecherous.”
“……T-That’s……68…… T-Thinking that you are horse riding on me……69……is making my guts as a horse into the max gear……70!”
“Talking while doing push-ups. You seem to have grown, Ise. Should I add another hundred?”
Buchou says something impossible while smiling. I will die. I will be in a near death state from morning if that happens. “Hmm, it should be about time that she gets here……”
“Huh? Who’s coming?”
When I ask her, I hear a familiar voice who then says, “Excuse me”. When I look to the direction from where the voice came from while staying in the push-up posture——. “Ise-san, Buchou-san! I’m sorry for being late……hauu!”
The blonde haired girl—Asia, trips over. “Ise-san, here’s your tea.”
“Y-Yeah, thanks.”
I’m taking a break while sipping the tea Asia gives me. After that, I did the muscle training for my stomach and back, so my whole body is hurting all over. “Asia, why are you here?”
When I ask, the blonde beauty’s cheek becomes red. “I heard that Ise-san and Buchou-san are doing training here every morning……so I also wanted to be of help to Ise-san as well. Though I was only able to prepare tea today.”
Asia…… You are such a wonderful girl! I'm deeply moved! “Uuu, Asia! I’m deeply moved by your kindness Asia! Aaah, I never expected that there would be a day when a girl would say that to me!”
I drink the tea in a sip while crying out with joy. Asia, a former Sister who has a blonde hair and green eyes. “Former” means that she isn’t a Sister any more. Right now she is a Devil of the Gremory group. Last month, she was involved in a particular incident, and as a result she was killed by a Fallen Angel. Asia died, but thanks to Buchou’s power, she was reincarnated as a Devil and is here with us right now. Also, the Fallen Angels are the evil Angels mentioned in the bible and novels. Their trait is their black wings, I think. They are the arch-enemies of Devils and are always fighting with them. Last month, I was also involved in their fight. | text_2 |
That time, I realised how weak I was, so I started to train like this to get stronger. I don’t want Asia to go through that sadness ever again. And our master, Buchou, seems to be thinking about something while drinking green tea. “What’s wrong, Buchou?”
When I ask her, she comes back to her senses and makes a cough. “No, it’s nothing. More than that, it’s good timing. I decided to have it done today, so let’s head over to your house now.”
Huh? Why? My house? Good timing? What are we going to do at my house? “It’s about time that the luggage arrives.”
I will come to know what she means 10 minutes later. “……T-This is?”
My eyebrows are twitching after seeing the boxes that are placed front of the entrance of my home. What is this? These boxes don’t even have the name of the sender. I have a mysterious feeling about this. There aren’t any bombs inside them, right……? Buchou then says it to me who am making a confused face. “Now then, Ise. Carry these to the room.”
“Huh? Carry? I have to carry these to……my house! ?”
“Yes, this is Asia’s belongings. Carrying this is what a gentleman would do, right?”
A—
“This is Asia’s belongings! ?”
I’m in deep shock, but Buchou then says something even more shocking. “Yes, from today, Asia will be living in your house.”
Family meeting——. Among all the famous meetings, conferences, and assemblies of the world, it’s among the top ranks for the place of negotiations. The words of the parents, who holds the authorities, have the big factor to decide the outcome. The way we, the children, negotiate will be the key to this. But my parents who are supposed to have the authority are down on their knees when they are in front of Buchou. Maybe Buchou’s eyes, which have power which can’t be seen with their eyes, are making them act that way. “Okaa-sama, Otou-sama, because of this situation, will you allow Asia Argento to home stay here?”
Buchou gives a reckless order to my parents while saying it elegantly and cheerfully. The two of them whispers in each other's ears while staring at Asia. ……Huh, they are also looking at me. My dad makes a single cough and then asks Asia a question. “Asia……-san, was it?”
“Yes, Ise-san’s Otou-sama.”
Asia responds back with a nervous face. “O-Otou-sama…… Ku……I don’t know how to put it, but having beautiful foreign girls to call me “Otou-sama” repeatedly sure does ring a bell to my heart……in a good way.”
It seems like my dad is getting emotional. Getting called “Otou-sama” by two young beautiful girls will obviously make him happy. Even I’m confident that I will fall for it if two beautiful girls calls me “Onii-chan”
“Otou-san!”
My mum pokes my dad. My dad comes back to his senses. “A-Ahem! Even if you want to home stay, our stupid son who is an embodiment of sexual desire is also in this house. It’s unfortunate, but isn’t it better for you to stay in a house where there is a girl? If something happens, I would be too ashamed.”
This shitty dad doesn’t hold back on his own son. And embodiment of sexual desire……I feel bad because he isn’t that far off. But what my dad just said is logical, so it will be better to make her home stay in a house where there is also a girl. Even my mum is agreeing to it right beside him, saying “Yeah, that’s right”. If a beautiful blonde girl stays with me who has so much sexual desire, you won’t know what might happen. It will become a worldwide problem. My parents probably wanted to say that. But I won’t do anything! I sure don’t have any trust huh……
By the way, I haven’t told them that Asia and I are Devils, and that Asia was used by a Fallen Angel. Even if I tell them, they won’t believe me, and it’s better for my mum and dad to not get involved with a Devil. We left out lots of stuff when we explain the situation to them with things we made up included in it. Buchou doesn’t seem to be affected by my parent’s refusal and continues to negotiate with a smile. “Then how about if Asia becomes your daughter, then?”
W-What do you mean with that profound word……Buchou……? “What do you mean?”
“Otou-sama, Asia believes in Ise very much. Very much. It’s the same for me as well. Ise does lack a bit of intelligence and is very straight forward, but he is not a fool. Instead, he has such a burning soul that he would walk towards any obstacle and would try to overcome it. Both Asia and I are drawn to that part of Ise. Especially Asia. Isn’t that right, Asia?”
“Y-Yes! Ise-san saved me by risking his life. He is my life saviour. He also helps me very much at school. Even in class, he……”
Then Asia starts to explain how I’m helping her out at school every day happily while putting on a big smile. She even tells them minor things and over-exaggerates them. Uooooo……, I’m so embarrassed that I want to run away from this place. My parents are like, “Oh, our Ise did?” and “For him to be useful to others”, and they seem like they aren’t dissatisfied with what they are hearing. Well, any parent will be happy if their child is being praised. Then Buchou gives them the final push. “How about if this home stay is also a bride training, then?”
[Bride!?] What is that!? Dad, mum and I shout out very loudly. Asia is like, “?”, and is putting on a confused look. Tears. Then there are loads of tears flowing out of dad’s eyes. He then speaks while wiping his tears. “……Since Ise is like this, I was sure that I would never see my grandchildren. I was always depressed that I had to worry about Ise living by himself even after I get very old……”
What…… Otou-sama suddenly started to speak his thoughts…… Rather, what’s with that irresponsible future map that you created for your own son? My mum is wiping her tears beside him. Wait, you are crying too!? “I also thought that Ise would never get a bride. It’s because he’s Ise. The stupid son. I tried raising him so he wouldn’t become a shame in the society, but that all turned out to be a waste since he turned out this way. If I could go back to the past, I would convince my younger self. By telling myself that “Be careful since that son of yours will turn into a worthless son who hides lecherous DVD inside his plastic model box hidden in his locker”.”
Uwaaaaaa! My secret porn location! Mum knows!? My dad holds Asia’s hand. “Asia-san! He’s a worthless son like this, but can I leave him to you?”
“You are wrong……, Ise-san isn’t a worthless person. He's a very wonderful person.”
Asia doesn’t realise what my dad is getting at, and smiles. My mum, who saw that, broke down by crying out loud. What is this? What drama am I watching? “Rias-san! We will look after Asia Argento-san in this house!”
Buchou smiles after hearing dad’s approval. “Thank you very much, Otou-sama. Ise. I will leave Asia’s care to you from now on. Asia, you will be staying with Ise at his home. So make sure not to be impolite. Get along with Ise’s parents.”
“Is it really alright? Won’t it……be a burden……if I stay……?”
Buchou says it to Asia who is confused. | text_2 |
“To get familiar with the Japanese culture and lifestyle, it’s best to stay with the people from that country. When I asked you, “Who do you want to live with the most within our club members?”, you did say Ise without a second thought, right?”
Oh I see, so that’s the reason. Asia is staying at Rias-buchou’s place. She's borrowing one of the rooms in the old school building that me, Buchou, and Asia goes to. “Y-Yes. I indeed said that, but……”
“It’s fine, Asia-san! Get used to Japan at our house! You might stay here permanently after all!”
Dad, you really are trying to make Asia my wife huh……
“See, even Otou-sama is saying this.”
Asia who was confused finally smiles when she sees Buchou smiling. “I understand, Buchou-san. There were things I didn’t quite understand, but I will be in your care, Ise-san, Ise-san’s Otou-sama and Okaa-sama.”
……You've been perfectly deceived, dad, mum…… Surely, the thing about my “bride” is a perfect blow to them……
Like this, it’s decided that Asia will be living with me under the same house. “……Bride, huh.”
I got very anxious at Buchou who was making a sad face at that time. Few days later since Asia started living at my house. “It’s a good weather today. Ise-san, we are playing softball for physical education today. It’s my first time, so I’m excited.”
Asia is walking towards school the school happily. I’m walking next to her. I never thought that a day will come when I will be able to walk to school every day with a beauty. The students who goes to the same school as us are looking at us with intense eyes. “Why is Asia-san walking from the same direction as Hyoudou……”
“Impossible……what’s going on……?”
“It must be some kind of mistake, not just Rias-oneesama, but even Asia-san……”
Just like that, I can hear the scream-like words from other students. Well, that’s natural. This situation will seem impossible for anyone who knows me. I, who was just an unpopular perverted student, am now suddenly getting along with the school idols. I'm also walking to school with the new blonde student every day who everyone has been talking about since her arrival. From other people’s view, this is an unbelievable situation. There were some students who confessed to Asia because they were like “If Hyoudou can, so can I!”, but they were rejected immediately. Because of that, there are those who holds a grudge against me. Even now, there are people looking at me with eyes filled with hatred. Other guys must think I’m playing around with the beauty’s body. Though, it’s not as simple as they think, but that’s okay. Fufu. This is fun in its own way. Even if it’s a misunderstanding, they think I’m popular with girls. Oh yeah! That’s it! Just get jealous of me, boys! I’m still going to rise higher! Fuhahahaha! “Was there something that looks funny?”
Oh. Asia looks at my face with a worried look. When a beauty’s face is right in front of me, it makes me blush…… Looks like I’m still young. “N-No, it’s nothing. By the way Asia, are there any problems at school? Are you getting along with other girls?”
Those are the things I’m most concerned about. A former Sister who had just transferred to our school. Since her lifestyle was far different from ours, she might feel lost in school life. At times like that, I will definitely help her, however what’s most important is for her to be supported by other girls. I think she is getting along with the girls from the Occult Research Club, but I’m concerned about her interaction with the other classmates. I don’t think she is getting bullied for not being used to this lifestyle…… But I can’t stop myself from being worried about it. Nothing like that is happening within my sight, but she might be bullied when I’m not there. However Asia makes a smile which comes from the bottom of her heart which then rejects my concern about her. “Everyone is very kind towards me. They are teaching me a lot of things so I would get familiar with Japan. I also made lots of friends. I was also invited to go shopping with them.”
That’s good to hear. Looks like her relationship with the other classmates is going well. Now, one of my concerns is gone. While talking about that, we arrive at school, and then went towards the class. Now with the problem of Asia’s school life settled, the remaining problem is—
“Asia-chan! Good morning!”
“Good morning, Asia-san. Your blonde hair is shining today as well.”
As soon as we arrive in the class, the bald headed guy Matsuda, and the guy wearing glasses Motohama, approaches Asia. These two are my pals. They are famous for being perverted, along with me. “Good morning Matsuda-san, Motohama-san.”
The two of them gets emotional after getting greeted by Asia. “This is the thing, isn’t it, Motohama-kun?”
“That’s right, Matsuda-kun. Getting greeted by having a beauty say “Good morning” gives life to us from morning.”
……Like usual, they feel happy with minor things. But until recently I was probably the same as them. Fufufu, having this much confidence sure does change people—. PUNCH! “Gufu!”
When I was acting cool, Motohama punches me to my stomach. “W-What was that for, baldy! ?”
I argued against him but he continues to laugh and kicks me in my leg. It really hurts! What is this idiot doing!? “Hahaha. Ise-kun. I heard about it.”
“Heard what.”
“I hear that you walk to school with Asia-chan every day, right?”
“W-What about it?”
“That’s weird. Why? Why do you two come to the school from the same direction? I wonder why?”
Hmm. I don’t know where he heard it from, but it looks like he heard the rumours about me and Asia as well. I lift my lips and put on a lecherous smile. I then say it. “Listen, Matsuda, Motohama. There is a wall between me and you two which you guys definitely can’t overcome. This can’t be helped.”
“W-What are you getting all proud of! ?”
“T-That’s right, Ise. Just because you get along with Asia-chan—”
I then give a finishing blow. I also put on an expression of victory. “I live with Asia. Under one roof. Right, Asia?”
“Yes. I am being taken care of at Ise-san’s house.”
[!?] Both of them got quiet after seeing Asia answer with a smile. It looks like they are speechless. Fu. Fuhahahaha! Hahahaha! I won! I won! “It’s a lie!”
Matsuda denies it strongly. He’s even crying. They are tears of jealousy. Fuhahaha! Cry! Scream! And die! “I-Impossible…… Ise living with a blonde beauty in the same house……? That can’t be……the law of this world will collapse……”
Motohama fixes the position of his glasses with his shaking hand. He’s also trembling even though he’s desperately trying to act calm. “T-Then do you even get woken up by Asia-chan in the morning! ?”
Matsuda’s question. How miserable. “Asia, looks like I made you wake me up today as well.”
“Because Ise-san is such a sleepy head. Ufufu.”
Ah, Matsuda drops on the floor. “Does she even refill the plates for you……?”
This time, Motohama asks. | text_2 |
“Mum also praised that you are a thoughtful girl, Asia.”
“Oh my……you are making me blush.”
Asia blushes while putting her hand on her cheek. I looked at her with confidence, and looked at her while putting on a smile. Seeing that, Motohama glares right at me through his glasses and it looks like he’s about to shed tears of blood. Man, having my friend being jealous of me sure is scary. Seriously, life sure can be turned upside down with a single change. Just being friendly with one beauty is enough for guys to get a happy life. Yeah, even if all the girls in the class will come to hate me, I’m all right as long as Asia is on my side. Ah, that’s not good. My aim is to get a peerage and become a great Devil, and then make lots of beauties into my servant. Then I have to become a guy that girls will like. But it seems like I won’t be able to get along with girls……
“You! You actually know lots of cute girls, don’t you!? Rias-senpai! Akeno-senpai! They are the “Two Great Onee-samas” of our academy, you know!? Then our school’s small idol, Toujou Koneko-chan, and now the blonde beauty that just transferred, Asia-chan! This is wrong! It’s so unfair that I’m about to break!”
Matsuda whines while holding his head down. Cry as much as you want, my friend. Just like he said, I’m getting along with several beauties lately. Especially Asia, whom I walk to school with. And it seems like I’m being adored by Rias-senpai and Akeno-senpai as well……
Yeah. I’m in the winners’ group now. Definitely in a winner’s group. This might be the best point of my life. I’ll have to enjoy it so that I don’t regret it afterwards. While I’m thinking about that, Motohama fixes his glasses calmly. “Ise, I don’t think introducing a single girl to us will be a bad thing. No, I mean, please introduce us to someone. I beg you. Please.”
Motohama says it while putting his face close to mine. He says it with a low tone, however it has so much intensity to it. But introducing…… The only beauties I talk to are the ones Matsuda just mentioned. In other words, I don’t have any connections with other girls. Rather, they don’t even take me seriously. It’s a harsh reality. It means that I don’t have ties with human girls. The girls I get along with are all Devils…… Well, even though they are Devils, they are all cute so it’s not a problem. Hmm? Yeah, that’s right. Well, it’s not like I don’t know someone. There is one person that I know of. I took my mobile phone out and check for the name. Yup, I have it. This should be okay. “Hold on a sec.”
I made my two pals and Asia wait here for a bit, and then went to the corner of the room so I can get an approval from the said person. We talked for a few minutes, but it seems like that person is okay with it. That’s good. “Well, I found one person that’s okay with meeting you guys. That person will also bring friends as well. This is the number of the person I can introduce you guys to. Contact that person through mail first. That way, you guys will feel happier.”
“Thank you!”
Matsuda who was down on the floor until a moment ago grabs my mobile phone. Hey hey, that’s a quick change! Until a second ago he was crying, this guy truly is……
The two of them copies the number into their phones. “Thank you so much, Ise-sama! I will never forget this debt!”
“Yeah, let’s do a triple date next time! Just wait! We will also make a girlfriend instantly!”
The two of them are giving a good smile. It seems like they are experiencing happiness, or rather, the inside of their head is on party-mode. “So, what kind of person is she? She’s a beauty right?”
Matsuda asks about the appearance of the person I just introduced. I answer while scratching my cheek. “Umm, yeah, she’s a “maiden”. That, I’m sure of.”
“Maiden……w-wonderful……that’s really wonderful, Ise-kun!”
“Man, we just can’t thank you enough Ise-sensei.”
These guys are just pathetic. They keep on changing their attitudes. No, I would also have been like them if I haven’t met with Buchou and Asia. I’m sorry for having all the fun, guys. Matsuda asks me once again with a smiley face. “Oh Ise-kun. By the way, why is “Mil-tan” called Mill-tan?”
I will like for you guys to ask him yourself. Even I don’t know the reason. That night. I’m pedalling my bike in the residential area. “Oryaaaaaa!”
I pedal my bike with all my strength. When we reached the designated area, Asia who is sitting behind me puts the leaflet into the mail box. “It’s done.”
“OK.”
I started pedalling my bicycle again after I confirm that Asia is sitting behind me. The leaflet we just put in that house is a convenient item used to summon us Devils. Normally, you need to draw a magic-circle to summon a Devil, but in this century, there aren’t that many humans who are willing to draw a magic-circle to summon Devils. More like there aren’t that many humans who believe in Devils in the current era. I also didn’t until recently. Therefore, the Devil’s society that was in a tight situation created a leaflet with a magic-circle on it which can summon Devils more easily. Each Devil stamps on their own personal magic-circle onto the leaflet, and just like ordinary advertisements, they write an advertisement phrase on it. This leaflet is nothing to those that are satisfied with their lifestyles, but to those that are craving for something, it has a magic cast on it so they will want to use it. We appear in front of humans who will become our contractors through the magic-circle. We grant their wish in exchange for a price. That’s how it works. So this is the current method used to summon Devils. And handing this leaflet out is the first job of the servant Devils. This became a customary practice for a temporarily time. We use a Devil’s portable device to find humans with a strong greed, and put the leaflet into their mailbox and then move onto the next location. Repeating this is a Devil’s job. Well, I have finished the job of handing out leaflets already. The reason why I am doing this is—. “……Ise-san, is it really alright? To help me hand out the leaflets……”
“Yeah, it’s not a problem.”
Yes, I’m assisting Asia in handing out the leaflets. So like this, I continue to pedal the bicycle. “Asia, you don’t know how to get on a bike right? Then someone has to ride the bike for you.”
“Uu, I’m sorry. I never had a chance to get on a bike…… But if it’s walking……”
“I can’t let you do that even more. I’m worried about you, Asia.”
That’s my true feeling. It’s not about whether she can ride a bicycle or not, but more of the fact that I can’t let Asia run around in unfamiliar environment. She had just come to Japan from Northern Europe last month. She doesn’t know that much about Japanese culture. She gained the ability to understand Japanese by becoming a Devil, but it’s a different story if it is to adapt to this lifestyle. I’m teaching her from the basics, but there are still many things which make me worry about her. | text_2 |
On top of that, Asia is kind to anyone and doesn’t know how the world goes around. You won’t know what kind of bad things will fall down onto her. So I ended up proposing to Buchou after thinking about it. “I will help Asia with handing out the leaflets!”
Buchou gladly accepted my request. Thank you very much, Buchou! Like that, I’m supporting Asia. So I have been going around the residential area at night on my bicycle together with her. “Look Asia. That’s a shrine. We're Devils, so we can’t enter it.”
I talked about a certain shrine when we went pass it. “Yes. Devils aren’t allowed to go to places where spirits gather and the local God lives, yes? It’s hard for me to understand Japanese “Shinto Gods” because I’m a Christian……”
It will be hard for her, who has been raised under one religion, to understand the Japanese culture. That’s what Buchou told me. So I started to teach Asia the things about the places we live in and so on while we hand out the leaflets. “Ah! Over there. It’s closed now but that bakery shop sells good bread. You want to go buy some next time?”
“Yes! Japanese breads are sweet, so I love them!”
Even a normal conversation is fun. A date at night. That’s the best! I always wanted to ride a bicycle with a girl sitting behind me like this. “Ise-san, have you watched the film “Roman Holiday”?”
Asia asks me. Roman Holiday? Oh yeah, I think it’s a film. “It’s an old film right? No, sorry. I haven’t watched it.”
“Is that so—”
Asia sounds a bit sad to my answer. “But what about that film?”
“……It’s always have been my admiration. It was just like this…… However they were riding a bike in the film. Even so I…… Ufufu.”
Huh? She sounds really happy right now. Even her arms that are across my hips got stronger. I’m not really sure, but oh well. If Asia is happy then that will be good enough. The wind tonight also feels good. “We are back!”
Asia and I had finished handing out the leaflets and returned to the club room. The unused old school building located behind the school. One of the rooms on the third floor is the room for the Occult Research Club and also the gathering place for the Gremory group. “Ara ara, good work. I will make some green tea now.”
The first one to welcome us back is the vice-president of our club as well as the staff officer of Rias-buchou, Himejima Akeno-san. She is my senior who is a third year student and is a Japanese beauty with long silky black hair who is always smiling. She is also a person with a pony-tail hair-style which is rare among the current teens. Along with Buchou, she is called one of the “Two Great Onee-samas” of our school and she is popular among both boys and girls and has the popularity of an idol. “Hey, how was the date at night?”
The guy who is sending out a smile at me is Kiba Yuuto, the good looking guy. He is the Handsome-prince who has captured the hearts of most of the girls in our school. He is my enemy since I hate good looking guys. “It was obviously the best.”
I put my thumbs up towards Kiba. “……Illicit sexual relationship late at night.”
The one who just said a harsh thing to me is the small build first year student, Toujou Koneko-chan. At first glance, she only looks like a grade school student but because she’s a loli girl, she is popular in our academy for being our school mascot. Asia and I walk towards Buchou, who is sitting on the sofa. Our [King], Rias-buchou. Even tonight, your crimson hair is beautiful like always. “Buchou. We are back.”
I reported to her, but Buchou is looking towards a certain direction while being dazed. Is she thinking about something? She even makes a deep sigh. Asia who is next to me also looks in the direction Buchou is looking towards. “Buchou, we are back!”
This time, I raised my voice. Buchou heard me and came back to her senses. “I-I’m sorry. I was dazed for a bit. Good work, Ise, Asia.”
Lately, I think that Buchou is thinking about something often. When she orders us to do something, she does it with elegance like usual, but other than that, her mind goes off to somewhere. I think the number of times she has sighed increased as well. She possibly has some serious concerns that we won’t possibly be able to understand. Well, she is a High-class Devil, after all. So these are the members of the Occult Research Club and also the members of the Gremory group. Other than me, everyone else is super popular at school. Well, I’m famous for being a perv. Hahaha, I feel like apologising since I feel I’m in a wrong place. Buchou then says it after confirming that Asia and I have arrived. “Now then, I will have Asia make her début as a Devil starting tonight.”
Oh! Seriously!? “Eh?”
I say it to Asia who is puzzled. “Asia, you will be having your actual début as a Devil from tonight! You are going to the contractors place through the magic-circle!”
“M-Me?”
Asia points to herself while panicking. “Right, Buchou?”
Buchou nods to my question. “Yes. Handing out the leaflets will end today. If I let it go on forever, it seems like the date between you two will continue even further.”
Uwa. Please stop bullying your servants, Buchou. I’m feeling a bit embarrassed if Buchou says that to me. Like the same time as my debut, Buchou draws the magic-circle of the Gremory-clan on Asia’s palm. Thanks to that, you will be able to transport through the magic-circle. “Akeno, check whether Asia has enough demonic-power to transport through the magic-circle.”
“Yes, Buchou.”
Akeno-san put her hand on Asia’s forehead after Buchou orders her. A faint light appears from her finger tips, and it seems like she is reading something. “We had the incident with Ise before, so we need to check properly. Though I don’t think there will be a same problem.”
I feel down after hearing Buchou’s worry. That’s right. My debut as a Devil was awful. To use the magic-circle, you need a little bit of demonic-power. But I didn’t even have that little bit of demonic-power at all. Thanks to that, I couldn’t transport through the magic-circle and I have to use a bicycle to go to the client which is something no one done before. Even now, I have to visit the clients by bicycle. This is hard to endure……
“Buchou, it’s okay. There’s no problem at all. More like, she has the most demonic-power after Buchou and me. Her potential capacity for her demonic-power is very good.”
Buchou smiles at Akeno-san’s report. “That’s good news. She can use her power as a [Bishop] to the fullest.”
The [Bishop] Buchou just mentioned is Asia's role as a Devil. The current Devils have rules that are based on the game of chess of the human’s world for their servants. The Devil who is a master is a [King], and below them are the [Queen], the [Rooks], the [Bishops], the [Knights], and the [Pawns]. The system for the servant Devils that the current Devils uses, the [Evil Piece]. | text_2 |
Previously, Buchou and others told me that long time ago, many Devils died against the War with God and the Fallen Angels, and this system was created to increase the forces of the Devils with having only small numbers of underlings in order to keep the balance against the other factions. Each piece has its own traits that boost up the ability of a servant Devil. Of course, by having Buchou as our leader who is also our master, we also have certain roles. Akeno-san is a [Queen], Kiba is a [Knight], Koneko-chan is a [Rook], Asia is a [Bishop] and I am a [Pawn]! At first glance, [Pawn] seems weak, but depending on the way you use it, it can even take down a [King]! That’s what Buchou told me! I have to believe that since I am aiming to become the “Strongest Pawn”. Going back to the topic, since Asia has a high demonic-power, she has no problem transporting through the magic-circle. Yup, looks like Asia began from a good start. I’m also satisfied with that. Then Asia will also get along with her client and— . Then I started to feel uneasy. ……What will happen to Asia who is kind to anyone and who doesn’t know how the world goes around when she gets summoned by someone with lots of greed……? Case 1
“Oh, what a cute Devil-san! Oh yeah! Please show me your panties! Please also show me your breasts!”
……That’s bad. Case 2
“Beautiful Devil-chan! Let me grope your oppai as much as I want in exchange for my life!”
……Asia’s? Case 3
“I will give you my life, so let me have sex with you till the night ends!”
…………
“Ise, are you crying?”
Buchou looks into my face with a worried look. “Buchou, no. It’s a no!”
I shake my head to the side while having tears flow out of my eyes. It’s a no. That’s right, no! It’s Asia that we are talking about!? There’s no way Asia is able to decline when some guy she hasn’t met asks her a lecherous order! Asia who is serious and passionate to her work will try to accomplish her work even by sacrificing her own body! “Buchou! I feel uneasy if Asia goes alone~! If Asia~! I can’t stand it if some weirdo asks some sick wish to Asia!”
Buchou seems a bit troubled after I approached her while crying. “Ise, a request which is too lecherous for the Devils they summoned doesn’t come to the servant Devils of the Gremory-clan. There are humans who request those kinds of wishes, so there are Devils who take those clients as their profession and requests like that goes to them. The jobs we take are safe, you know? Even Devils have areas that they are professional at.”
“Buchou, you are telling the truth right? That’s the truth, right? But still, I feel super uneasy!”
Buchou sighs after seeing me so worried about it. “Alright. For a short time, I’ll put you with Asia to support her. Are you satisfied with that?”
“T-Thank you very much! Asia! Let me handle the pervs! Asia, you can just make the contract normally!”
“Y-Yes.”
I take Asia’s hand, and make a sigh of relief. Asia herself looks worried that she is causing trouble for me, but that’s okay. I need to protect Asia. I even made a promise with Buchou, and I’m also worried about Asia. I might be over protective towards her, but I want to look after her until she says, “I can do it by myself!”. You have to do these kinds of things until they get annoyed with you. I will protect Asia even if it makes her hate me. “So then, if a request comes, Asia, you will transport through the magic-circle by taking Ise with you.”
“Yes, I understand. Buchou.”
After she confirms it, the big magic-circle on the floor glows. Akeno-san who is in charge of the magic-circle starts to read the Devil’s letters that appeared in a section of the magic-circle. “Ara ara, there is a client trying to summon us, who wants to wish something that even Asia-chan can handle.”
Hearing Akeno-san’s report, Buchou smiles. “That’s very convenient. Asia can supply the demonic-power needed for teleporting through the magic-circle, and she can also support Ise who lacks demonic-power as well. Let’s do it then.”
Hmm, I was the one who is supposed to help her, but it looks like I’m the one needing the help…… That’s okay. I just need to watch over Asia doing her first job! “Let’s go, Asia!”
“Yes, Ise-san!”
Asia and I went towards the centre of the magic-circle after getting our spirits up. I returned home late at night with Asia. Asia finished her first job safely. Unlike my debut, it went smoothly. “I’m sorry, I will take the bath first then.”
Saying that, Asia heads towards the bathroom. She can’t stop smiling because she has accomplished her first job. I also went to my room to rest. Ah, both my mind and body is worn, just like every night. After Asia finished her job, we went back to the club room and reported to Buchou, and finished our job as a Devil for the night. I have concerns for Buchou who had a sad face……
Being concerned about Buchou is good, but it will be my turn to have a bath after Asia is done. Using the same bath a girl was in…… I know I shouldn’t think about lecherous things, but I’m in that age when I have to. So there is a part of me getting excited about it. No, no! I shake my head very hard and tried to get rid of the ill thoughts. I need to protect Asia! If I get excited about Asia, then that makes me the worst kind of person! Perv! What a perv I am! Shit! I wish I have the mind of a hermit just for now! Yes! To get rid of my ill thoughts I will sit while crossing my legs! I sat on the floor and closed my eyes to calm my spirit. I’m not lecherous. I’m not a pervert. I’m a being that protects Asia. I’m living with Asia but I can’t think about naughty stuff. Namu namu namu. Ouch! Then I got a headache! Oh yeah! Why am I praying!? I’m a Devil! I will take damage if I pray! I almost terminated myself on my own! Damn it! What am I doing!? Wait, what am I doing in my own room……? FLASH
Then the floor on my room glows. The light is forming into a circular shape, and a familiar symbol appears on it. —This is the mark of our group! The Gremory group’s magic-circle. Who is it? I mean, why my room? Is someone trying to teleport to my room!? The magic-circle makes a big glow that lit up the whole room, and a person appears from it. It’s the silhouette of a girl. A girl with crimson hair—. “Buchou……?”
The one that appears from the magic-circle is none other than Rias-buchou. But why is she in my room? She seems to have the face of those cornered. Her expression is the same as the one she had back in the clubroom. Buchou approaches me soon as she sees me. Then she says a shocking thing to me. “Make love to me.”
…………Excuse me? My mind went blank because of the sudden thing. What did she say just now? Did I go deaf? Buchou says it again to make sure I heard it since I have a confused look. “I want you to take my virginity. Immediately.”
Buchou’s Japanese are stimulating as always. “Hurry, go to the bed. I will get ready for it now.”
Buchou hassles me while taking her uniform off! H-Hold on! What is this!? What’s happening!? | text_2 |
My mind can’t catch up to Buchou’s actions! STRIP! She takes her skirt off and her underwear becomes visible! Guha! Her pure white panties are so bright! Her beautiful long legs are excellent like always! She still has thighs that you want to touch a lot! She then reaches for her bra! “B-Buchou! This is—! ?”
I’m panicking. Of course! Obviously! Even a horny student like me will get confused if Buchou suddenly appears and says something like “Let’s have sex” and starts taking her clothes off! STRIP. She finally takes her shirt off! Her oppai that is supported by the bra are visible! I can’t take my eyes off her white and huge breasts! Buchou who only has her panties on, takes a huge breath, and then walks towards me. “Ise, aren’t I good enough?”
“N-No! Absolutely not!”
“I thought about all sorts of things, but this is the only method left.”
Method for what!? I can’t see where this is leading to!? “If there is evidence, then they can’t complain about it. The only person close to me who is able to do it with me is you.”
Me!? I’m not really sure, but have I been chosen to be her first time!? It’s an honour! That’s what I want to say but I don’t have the confidence to say it! “……Yuuto won’t do. He is a pure knight. He would decline it for sure. That’s why you were the only one possible, Ise.”
I won over Kiba!? Uhahaha! I don’t know what’s going on, but for that part I can be proud! I won against you handsome! “……There are things you still lack in, but you seem to have the potential.”
Buchou’s fingertip touches my cheek. My heart is beating. I feel something mysterious running through my body! “You are the only one who would do it as soon as I ask and will go till the end.”
“B-Buchou……”
Buchou approaches me. I have myself pushed down onto the bed. Buchou horse rides on me. The place where her buttocks and thighs are touching is my important part! Her crimson hair falls down on my body. The smell of her crimson hair excites me. UNHOOK. The sound of the bra being unhooked. The second coming of Buchou’s oppai! Her beautiful pink nipples are already erect. Her breasts bounces with her slight movements. This has too many destructive powers! This is my second contact with this breast! I never thought that I will be able to see it again on this bed! “This is your first time, right Ise? Or do you already have experience?”
“I-It’s my first time!”
“I see. It’s my first time as well, so let’s do it till the end even if both of us have no experience. It’s all right, it’s very simple. You just have to put it inside here.”
Buchou touches her important part with her finger. It’s so stimulating that my brain is about to burst! Then Buchou takes my right hand and……! Squeeze. My right hand which was grasped by Buchou is placed on top of her oppai! I can feel a really soft sensation on all five fingers while it sinks in! It's a guy's thing to concentrate their thoughts and sensations on their right hand at times like this! FLOOD! I know that there is an insane amount of blood bursting out from my nose. T-The sensation of the oppai that I dreamed so much about! Crap, my head is about to burst because of this amazing situation! But if I have to describe this sensation, then it’s like a pudding that won’t crumble! Or the best quality marshmallow! No, you still can’t describe this sensation with expressions like that! You absolutely can’tttttt! “Do you realise it?”
Buchou says that to me with a charming voice. “I’m also nervous. You can tell by my heart beat right?”
Now that you mention it, I can feel her heart beating fast through her soft oppai that I’m touching with my right hand. If I look carefully, her pure white skin starts to turn red. ……B-Buchou is also nervous? So Buchou who usually acts with elegance gets nervous for her first time as well huh. Then Buchou starts to strip my clothes off! Uwaaaaaah! I’m getting stripped naked by a giiiiiirl! “B-But! I-I don’t actually have the confidence!”
I accidentally made a whiny voice because I’m so nervous! Well, obviously! That’s because I really am a virginnnnnn! Buchou gets her face close to mine and says it. “Are you trying to embarrass me?”
EXPLODE
With that comment, my brain blows. I know it’s the sound indicating that I can’t hold my instinct back anymore. I grab Buchou by her shoulders and put her down against my bed! On my bed. There is a fully naked girl below me. She’s saying that I can do her! Make your determination, Hyoudou Issei! I’m not really sure, but my time has come! I have to do it! Wait, is this really all right!? But I can’t control myself if the beauty I admire says things like this to me! After I gulped down my spit and took a deep breath, I lean my body against Buchou—. FLASH! Then the floor of my room flashes once again. W-What is it!? Seeing that, Buchou sighs. “……Looks like I was a bit late……”
Buchou stares at the magic circle with disgust. The symbol on the magic circle is—Gremory group? Who is it? Kiba? Akeno-san? Koneko-chan? Wait, no matter who it is, getting caught in this situation is baaaaaad!! But my prediction was wrong, and the person who appears from the magic-circle is a silver haired woman. Her clothes look like that of a maid. Is she a maid? The beautiful silver-haired maid speaks silently after seeing me and Buchou. “Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?”
The maid says it plainly as if she is astonished. Buchou twitches her eyebrows hearing that. “If I don’t go this far, both Otou-sama and Onii-sama won’t listen to me right?”
“Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will become sad after they find out that you tried to give your purity to some lowly person like this.”
Master? S-Sirzechs-sama? Who is it? From what Buchou said, is it her father and her brother? So Buchou has a brother. But lowly…… She’s talking about me right? I feel a bit shocked if someone I just met calls me that. Hearing the maid woman say that, Buchou becomes unpleasant immediately. “My purity is mine only. What’s wrong with giving it to someone whom I acknowledged? Also don’t call my cute servant lowly. Even if it’s you, I won’t forgive you, Grayfia.”
B-Buchouuuuu! I’m so moved because you became mad for me! The woman called Grayfia picks up Buchou’s bra. “Anyway, you are the next heiress of the House of Gremory, so please don’t show your skin to a man recklessly. Even more so if you are in the middle of this situation.”
She then puts the bra on Buchou’s body. The woman looks at me. She then bows her head down. “How do you do. I’m a maid that serves the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
I received a polite introduction from her. I feel a bit awkward because I was called a lowly person when I first saw her, but if I look carefully she’s quite a beauty. If she’s human then she will be in her early 20’s. She seems like a calm and collected person, and her silver hair that is shining looks beautiful. | text_2 |
She has her hair split into three strings, which are then knotted with each other. Grayfia-san huh, I think older woman are also quite good……
Pinch. Buchou pinches me because I’m gazing at Grayfia-san. It hurts, Buchou. “Grayfia, did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you? ……Or is it Onii-sama?”
Buchou makes an unpleasant face. Somehow she’s acting like girls her age. This is a new side of her I haven’t seen. “All of them.”
Grayfia-san answers like that. Hearing that, Buchou sighs as if she is giving up. “Is that so? You, who is brother’s [Queen], came to the human world personally. So it can only be one thing. I understand.”
Buchou picks her clothes up. She puts her arm through her clothes. Her wonderful naked body is getting covered. “I’m sorry, Ise. Let’s make it so that the thing from earlier never happened. I wasn’t thinking straight either. Let’s forget about today’s incident.”
……Ah, so it’s over then. W-Well, I don’t know what’s going on either…… But I know that I will definitely regret it afterwards. “Ise? Wait, is this person?”
Hmm? Grayfia-looks at me with a shocked expression. I never expected a cool woman like her to be this shocked. “Yes, Hyoudou Issei. My [Pawn]. The user of the [Boosted Gear].”
“……[Boosted Gear], the one possessed by the Emperor of Dragons……”
What is it? Suddenly Grayfia-san starts to look at me as if she’s looking at something extraordinary. “Grayfia, let’s go back to my room. I will listen to what you have to say over there. Akeno can also attend, right?”
“The “Priestess of Thunder”? I don’t mind. It’s a must for High-class Devils to have their [Queen] by their side all the time.”
“Very well. Ise.”
Buchou calls me. She walks towards me and then she—. CHU. Buchou’s lip touches my cheek. …………Wow. Uoooooooooooo! I got kissed on the cheeeeeeeek!! “Please forgive me for today with this. I troubled you a lot. Let’s meet again in the clubroom tomorrow.”
She gives me a farewell and disappears in the magic-circle together with Grayfia-san. ……I’m the only one left in the room now. I’m standing there dazzled while touching the cheek where I was kissed. “Ise-san! I finished using the shower!”
I heard Asia’s voice soon after that. Next morning. Asia and I are walking towards school. I rub my eyes since I wasn’t able to get a single bit of sleep. Damn it. Damn itttttttttt! I regretted it about last night! I regretted so much! I was suffering inside my bed! The feeling of the oppai in my hand, and the image of Buchou’s naked body burned into my eyes has impacted both my mind and soul! So I got up at night and started to do lot of lecherous things by myself! For the whole night! I had to pleasure myself because I had so much hornyness within my body since she stopped right before doing it! That’s why I’m flat out tired from the morning! “Are you okay?”
Asia asks me with a worried voice. I feel like I know how dirty I am when I get stared at by her innocent eyes! I’m sorry Asia. I was doing something you shouldn’t know about while you weren’t looking. I can’t tell her that Buchou wanted to have sex with me last night no matter what. “You didn’t do the morning training today, so I thought your body was hurt.”
Asia seems like she is very worried. I’m very sorry. The morning training was cancelled today. I received a call early this morning from Buchou, and she cancelled it by saying “Can we cancel it today”. Well, I can’t do training with Buchou herself in this state……
I’m walking towards the classroom while my legs are moving very slowly. Then—. “Iseeeeeeeeee! !”
Matsuda is running towards me with an extremely pissed face from the end of the corridor. Ah! It’s about that! “Dieeeeeeee! !”
From the other direction Motohama is running really fast. Both of them got ready to do a lariat on me! I have nowhere to run since we are in the corridor! HIT! Ugah! Both of their lariats hit my neck. It hurts idiots! I coughed while touching my neck. “D-Don’t fuck with meeeee!”
Matsuda shouts. “Ise! You bastard!”
Motohama grabs me by my collar and glares at me with eyes filled with murderous intent. “Seriously, what is it?”
I acted like I didn’t know what they are on about, but it doesn’t stop them from being pissed at me. “Don’t fuck around! Fuck! What the heck was that!? He looked like those really strong guys from a martial arts manga! And why was he wearing Gothic Lolita clothes!? Is that an ultimate weapon! ?”
Matsuda complains to me while crying. Looks like the two of them met him yesterday. It seems like the impact of “Mil-tan” was too much for them. Mil-tan— a regular customer of mine as a Devil. My contractor. He is a girl born from a man that has the body of the world’s strongest person, and he looks up to mahou-shoujo. His charming point is his Gothic Lolita outfit and the cat ears he wears. You may think this information doesn’t make any sense, but I can’t help it if this is the truth. The heart of a maiden, and a body of a man! That’s the only explanation I have. “Not only that! He also brought some friends! He made a gathering of some sorts! There were couple of those who looked like “Mil-tan”! I was so scared! I thought I was going to get killed!”
Damn. So there are more of them…… Just thinking about it gives me shivers and nightmares. Where do “Mil-tan series” get produced from……? Yeah, I definitely don’t want to meet them……
“They were going on about the world of magic! Whaaaaaat the fuck is the “World of Magic Serabenia”!? I don’t know any shit like thaaaaaat!”
Matsuda-kun continues to complain to me while shaking my body violently. “In my case, they were telling me about how to defeat the “Dark Creatures” if I ever encounter one…… Apparently you can kill them by using a special item which is made by mixing the salt from the sea of the dead and a flower that only appears at night called “Moonlight flower”, and then burn them to make a powder…… No matter how you think about it, a punch from Mil-tan would be enough to kill any living thing in this world……”
Motohama says it to me while holding his head down. I-I see, looks like these two have went through hell. “Congratulations. Now you can beat the “Dark creatures” whenever you encounter one.”
After I said that, Matsuda and Motohama does a double brain buster on me. “Buchou’s problem? Maybe it has something to do with the House of Gremory.”
Kiba says that to me while we are walking towards the clubroom located in the old school building. I met with Kiba while I was on my way to the clubroom along with Asia. So I asked Kiba about how Buchou is acting strange lately, but it seems like Kiba also doesn’t know the reason why. “Akeno-san would know, right?”
Kiba nods at my question. “Akeno-san is Buchou’s most trusted servant, so she obviously would know.”
I know that asking Buchou about her problem is rude, but I became concerned about her since I was involved in it last night. But I don’t feel like talking about last night with anyone. I mean, it will cause an uproar if I do. | text_2 |
Well, never mind. Anyway, if there is a thing I can help her with then I will. When we arrived to front of the door, Kiba notice something. “……For me to finally realise the presence here……”
Kiba puts on a serious face by narrowing his eyes. Huh? What is it? I open the door without any concerns. Inside the room are Buchou, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, and—. The silver haired maid Grayfia-san! She sure does act calm. Buchou has a very unpleasant face. Akeno-san is smiling like usual, but she has cold vibe. Koneko-chan is sitting on a chair at the corner quietly. It seems like she doesn’t want to get involved with others much as possible. The room has an atmosphere where no one is talking. Kiba quietly says “Oh my” from behind me. The three of us goes inside the room but none of the members are talking to us like they always do. That’s how tense the atmosphere of this room is. Asia is also feeling uneasy so she holds onto my sleeve with an uneasy face. I pat on her head to comfort her and to make her feel safe. Buchou speaks after looking at each of us. “Looks like everyone is here. Before we start the club, there’s something I need to tell all of you.”
“Ojou-sama, do you want me to explain the situation?”
Buchou rejects Grayfia-san’s offer by waving her hand. “The truth is—”
It happens exactly when Buchou speaks. The magic-circle on the floor glows. Eh……? Teleportation? But all of the people from Gremory group are here. So is it a Devil who serves the House of Gremory just like Grayfia-san? After this, I realise that my guess is way off from the correct answer, and I will come to realise that I still lack knowledge as a Devil. The symbol of the Gremory drawn on the magic-circle changes into an unfamiliar pattern. —! What is this!? Isn’t this the Gremory’s magic-circle? “—Phoenix”
That’s what Kiba who is close to me says. Phoenix? T-Then it isn’t a Gremory! The light shines through the room and a person appears from the magic-circle. FLAME! Flames come out from the magic-circle, and the room gets flowed with heat. Hot! Sparks are burning my skin. There is a silhouette of a man inside the flames. When he swings his arm across to the side, the flames disappear. “Fuu, it’s been a while since I came to the human’s world.”
The one standing there is a man wearing a red suit. Since he’s wearing his suit casually, he didn’t have a tie and his shirt is opened till his chest. He looks like he’s in his early 20’s. He’s handsome but he seems more of the bad boy type. He has his hands inside his pockets. Somehow, he looks like a host. More like, is he a host-Devil? His good looking face kind of pisses me off. If Kiba is the gentle type, then this guy is the wild type. The guy looks around the room, and then smirks after finding Buchou. “My lovely Rias. I came to see you.”
……M-My lovely Rias? This guy, what kind of relation does he have with Buchou? Buchou is looking at him with her eyes half closed. It doesn’t seem like she is welcoming this guy. But the guy doesn’t seem to care and approaches Buchou. “Now then, Rias. Let’s go and take a look at the ceremony hall. The date of the ceremony is decided so we need to check it before then.”
What a frivolous guy…… From which household is this Devil from? Kiba said Phoenix earlier……
The guy grabs Buchou’s arm. W-What a rude guy! “……Let go of me, Raiser.”
Buchou says that with a deep and serious voice while shaking the guys hand off. Uwah, her voice sounds really scary…… She’s really pissed off! The guy called Raiser doesn’t seem to care about having his hand shook off and is just smirking. Somehow, his slight movement is ticking me off. I’m starting to get pissed. I then say this to him. “Hey, you. You are being rude to Buchou. Actually, what’s with that attitude towards a girl?”
I said it clearly to him. The guy looks at me, and starts looking at me as if he is looking at some trash. This bastard is pissing me off even more! “Ah? Who are you?”
He said it with a displeased voice. It’s totally different from the sweet voice he has towards Buchou. Nggh, he’s clearly looking down on me. I can feel his hatred towards me. But I will say what I have to! “I am the servant Devil of Rias Gremory-sama! I’m the [Pawn], Hyoudou Issei.”
I said it to him! I even told him my name! How’s that host-Devil! “Hmm. Ah, okay.”
SLIP. I slipped after he makes a dull reaction. Ugh……Somehow I feel hurt by that kind of reaction. So you don’t care about me. Is that right? “I mean, who the heck are you?”
The guy seems a bit surprised by my question. “……Oh? Rias, you haven’t mentioned me to your servants? I mean, are there guys who don’t know me? A reincarnated Devil? Even so.”
“I didn’t tell them because there was no need.”
“Oh my, harsh like always. Hahaha……”
The guy starts laughing. Then Grayfia-san comes into the discussion. “Hyoudou Issei-sama.”
“Y-Yes.”
“This person is Raiser Phoenix-sama. He’s a pure-blood High-class Devil, and the third son of the House of Phoenix.”
Grayfia-san explains it to me about this guy. Yeah, so he’s a High-class Devil from the House of Phoenix. So he holds a peerage then. Isn’t Phoenix a legendary creature that appears in books and is said to be a fire bird or immortal bird……? So there are things similar to it among the Devils. So how does a guy like that related to Buchou? A friend? Or is he some childhood friend? But soon, I found out the true reason that far surpasses my prediction. “And he is the husband of the next heiress of the House of Gremory.”
……Hm? H-H-Husband....? The next heiress……she’s talking about Buchou right……? “He is engaged to Rias-ojousama.”
…………
Huh? E-E-E-E-E-E-Engageeeeeed!? “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh! !”
I screamed because of the shocking revelation. This bastard is Rias-buchou’s fiancé. “The tea made by Rias’s [Queen] is superb.”
“Thank you very much.”
The guy who praises Akeno-san’s tea, —Raiser. Akeno-san is also smiling, but she doesn’t say her usual “Ara ara” and “Ufufu”. I feel a bit scared……
Buchou who is sitting on the sofa. Raiser who carelessly sat next to her and is holding her shoulder. Buchou keeps on shaking his hands off, but the bastard keeps on touching her hair, hands and shoulders. That guy is way too close to her! We, her servants, are sitting away from the two High-class Devils and can only look at them. Ku…… Just looking at him pisses me off! He keeps on touching her body! If he starts touching her legs, I’m seriously going to jump at him! I also want to touch that thighs of hers as well! Ah, if I think about it I already know the sensation of Buchou’s oppai. Does that make me more amazing since I know the sensation of those breasts even before him who is her fiancé? Fufufu, yeah. I am. I have already seen her naked body twice. Fufufu. So it’s my win then!? Nuhahaha! “U-Umm, Ise-san. Did something good happen?”
Asia who is next to me, asks with a worried face. Huh!? I made a victory declaration in my mind against Raiser. “……Indecent thinking is prohibited.”
Koneko-chan gives me her harsh words again. | text_2 |
Ungh, does this girl have some power that allows her to read my mind? “Ise-kun, in any case you should wipe your drool.”
Kiba gives me a handkerchief with a refreshing smile. “I-It’s none of your business!”
I tried to wipe my drool with my sleeve, but Asia wipes it for me with her handkerchief. “It’s almost time to eat snacks, so you drooled thinking about it, correct?”
Ugh. My heart hurts because she said that with a smile. This girl probably doesn’t know that I was thinking about naughty stuff. “Thank you, Asia.”
I’m sorry Asia. I thanked her, while apologising to her in my heart. Then at that time—. “Stop it already!”
Buchou’s angry voice echoes through the room. When I look, Buchou got up from the sofa and is glaring sharply at Raiser. Raiser on the other hand is smirking like usual. “Raiser! I told you before! I will not marry you!”
“Yeah, I heard that before. But Rias, that won’t do, you know? I think the situation of your household is quite serious.”
“That’s none of your concern! If I’m the next heiress for the House of Gremory, then I will choose who will become my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in the clan are rushing it! Also it was a promise that I will be free until I graduate from university of the human world!”
“That’s right. You will basically be free. You can go to college and you can do whatever you like with your servants. But your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They are afraid that your household will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the last war. Even if the war has ended, our rivalry with the Fallen Angels and God hasn’t ended yet. It’s not rare for the successors of pure-blood Devil to get killed in the worthless battle against them, which leads to the household becoming extinct. So for a pure-blood Devil that are also happens to be a High-class Devil, getting together would be the obvious solution for the forces of Devils. A pure-blood High-class Devil. Even you know that these children will be important from now on, right?”
Buchou and Raiser starts to argue about something I don’t get. But even an idiot like me knows that they are discussing an important thing about the World of Devils. Buchou becomes quiet when Raiser started a serious topic. Though her sharp eyes hasn’t changed. Raiser continues to talk after drinking the tea. “The newly produced Devils—. The ones like your servants, the reincarnated Devils, are expanding in terms of strength but that would make us, the High-class Devils with old history background, lose our place. There are old nobles who gets close to the reincarnated Devils because they are very powerful. Well, that might be alright. The newly produced Devils are also important for our future. But we can’t allow the pure-blood Devils to go extinct right? You and I were chosen in order to prevent the pure-bloods from going extinct. My house is safe because I have my older brothers. But there are only two siblings in your house. And your brother is someone who left the house. Then there would only be you, Rias, who can inherit the House of Gremory. If you don’t take a husband, the House of Gremory will go extinct in your generation. Are you trying to crush the household that has been continuing for a very long time? Because of the past war, there is not even half the number of Devils who were referred as “72 pillars”. This marriage has the future of the Devils on the line.”
……It seems like the discussion is getting really serious……
The “72 pillars”, I was told about it from Kiba before. A long time ago there were 72 Devils that held a peerage, and each clan had dozens of armies, but most of them died in the war. Buchou’s clan are one of the important pure-blood Devils that survived the war. I was pissed when Raiser kept on saying engagement, but listening to the whole story makes it seem very complicated. Pure-blood Devils, in other words Buchou and Raiser. A pure Devil. It means their parents are also pure-blood Devils. A real Devil. Asia and I will be categorised as reincarnated Devils then. A rule from ancient time, huh. Then my opinion won’t mean a thing huh……
But it’s alright. I will just agree with Buchou’s decision. Of course that’s after hearing her true feelings. “I’m not going to crush my house. And I am willing to take a husband.”
Hearing Buchou, Raiser makes a big smile. “Oh, to be expected from Rias! Then let’s—”
“But I won’t marry you, Raiser. I will marry the one I acknowledge. Even the Devils from the old noble house have the right to choose.”
Buchou talks over Raiser and says it clearly. Hearing that, Raiser suddenly becomes unpleasant. His eyes become sharper and he even makes a noise with his tongue. “……You know, Rias. I’m also a Devil who carries the name of House of Phoenix behind me. I can’t let that name get tarnished. I didn’t even want to come to a small old building like this in the human world. Rather, I don’t like the human world that much. The fire and wind of this world is filthy. For a Devil like me who rules fire and wind, I can’t stand it!”
FLAME! There are flames around Raiser. There are small bits of fire around the room. “I will take you back to the underworld, even if I have to burn all of your servants.”
CHILLS. His hostility and killing intent fills the room. The pressure from Raiser’s body come right at me, no, at us. I feel something cold on my back, and it feels like all the hair on my body is about to stand. The killing intent directed by a High-class Devil. This is bad! My hands and body are trembling. Asia hugs my arm because she got scared. Yeah, Asia won’t be able to withstand this atmosphere. I feel the uneasiness like the time when I fought that Fallen Angel, no, it’s even worse. Kiba and Koneko-chan aren’t trembling but they are getting ready to fight any time. Buchou makes a stance against Raiser, and there are red aura coming out of her body. Raiser also starts covering his body with fire. Intense heat fills the room. Hot…… That fire, it’s obvious that we will get turned to ash if we get hit by that! I can feel the same strength of demonic-power as Buchou from his flames! Buchou is stronger than the Fallen Angel I beat…… If I can sense the same strength from him, does it mean that Raiser is a Devil who is incredibly strong? The flame gathers around Raiser’s back and forms into wings of flame. Exactly like a fire bird. The atmosphere is intense. But there is one person who interfered calmly. –It’s Grayfia-san. “Ojou-sama, Raiser-sama, please calm down. If both of you were to continue, then I won’t be quiet about it. For Sirzechs-sama’s honour, I won’t hold back.”
Buchou and Raiser both make a serious face after hearing Grayfia-san’s quiet and intense voice. It seems like they are scared of her. Raiser calms the flames around his body and sighs while shaking his head. | text_2 |
“……To be told that by the “Strongest Queen”, even I would be scared…… I definitely wouldn’t want to fight the people from Sirzech-sama’s group, which is known to be made up of monsters.”
So Buchou’s brother has that much influential power huh. I also didn’t know that Grayfia-san is that strong. I don’t even feel any killing intent coming from her at all. Buchou also stops her red demonic-power and disbands her battle position. Looks like we avoided the worst case scenario. Seeing that both Buchou and Raiser have no intention to fight, Grayfia-san speaks. “Master, Sirzechs-sama, and those from the House of Phoenix knew it would turn out like this. To tell you the truth this was to be the last discussion meeting. Everyone knew that it wouldn’t be solved, so they decided to make a last resort.”
“Last resort? What do you mean, Grayfia?”
“Ojou-sama, if you wish to push your opinion forward, then how about you settle it by having a [Rating Game] against Raiser-sama? “……! ?”
Buchou becomes speechless hearing Grayfia-san. She seems to be very shocked. [Rating Game]? I think I heard about it before……
“It’s a game that is played by the Devils with peerage, and they compete by making their servants battle.”
Kiba explains it to me because I have a confused look. Oh, I think I remember about it. It’s a battle amongst Devils where you use your servants, [Pawn], [Knight], [Bishop], [Rook], and [Queen]. I heard that your strength in the game reflects greatly in your social standing among other Devils. But wasn’t that game only played by mature aged Devils, and Buchou who isn’t at the mature age can’t participate in it? Grayfia-san continues her explanation and answers my questions. “Just as you know, Ojou-sama, only mature aged Devils can participate in official [Rating Game]. But if it’s an unofficial match between pure-blood Devils, even immature Devils can participate. However, in this case—”
“When it involves the family and household problems.”
Buchou continues to talk while making a sigh. “In other words Otou-sama and the others decided to have a game as a last resort if I was to decline, right? ……Just how far are they intending to interfere with my life to feel satisfied......!”
Buchou is really ticked off. Uwah……I can feel her urge to kill! Scary……
“Then Ojou-sama, you are saying you would also decline to participate in the game?”
“No, I won’t, since this is a chance. Alright then. Let’s settle this with a game, Raiser.”
Raiser smirks after Buchou’s provocative words. “Hee, so you're accepting it. I don’t mind. But I’m already a matured Devil and I have already participated in the official game. Right now I have won most of the games. Even so, you still want to play, Rias?”
Raiser replied back with an even more provocative words. Buchou sends back a fearless smile. “I will. I will blow you away, Raiser!”
“Fine. If you win, do whatever you like. But if I win, you will marry me immediately.”
Both of them glares at each other. They are both glaring at each other with scary eyes. Oh, their glares are so intense that a Low-class Devil like myself can’t butt in! “Understood. I, Grayfia, have confirmed both sides opinion. I will be in charge of the game between the two household. Is that okay?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah.”
Buchou and Raiser both agrees to Grayfia-san’s approval. “Understood. I will inform the two households then.”
Grayfia-san bows her head after confirming. Wow, it has turned into a serious situation! Game! So I will be participating in it as well! Raiser looks at me and then smirks. He then makes a smirk which pisses me off. “Hey, Rias. Would the ones here be your servants?”
Buchou twitches her eyes at his words. “So what?”
Raiser starts laughing after Buchou answers him as if he finds it amusing. “Then this match will be a laugh. Only your [Queen], the “Priestess of Thunder” can fight on par with my adorable servants.”
Saying that, Raiser clicks his fingers, and the magic-circle on the floor glows. The magic-circle has the same emblem of Phoenix that Raiser appeared from. Then shadows appears from the magic-circle. One, two, three……s-shit……
I got speechless after I saw the number of shadows that appears from the magic-circle. “Well, these are my cute servants.”
Around Raiser who said that, 15 people that seems to be his servants gathers around him. There’s a person in armour that seems to be a [Knight]. There’s also a person wearing a hood that seems to be a magician. Full members! Just like in real chess, you can have a maximum number of 15 servant Devils under your control. It seems like High-class Devils receives 15 [Evil Pieces] from Maou. You can form a master and servant relationship by using it to those who you want to make as your servant. If the person you wish to make your servant has high potential capacities, then the chess consumption can be doubled. That’s why there are cases where there is only 1 [Rook] or 1 [Knight]. Buchou also had the same incident. That is me. You can get a maximum of 8 [Pawns], but Buchou used all 8 pieces on me because there is an extremely fiendish thing within me. That’s why there are High-class Devils that doesn’t have 15 servants. But Raiser has the maximum number of 15 servants. It’s a magnificent view to see all 16 Devils including the [King]. We only have one of each of [King], [Queen], [Rook], [Bishop], [Knight], and [Pawn]. So that makes it a 6 versus 16!? I got shocked by this fact. No, I’m sorry. There’s something else on my mind. I mean, I can’t help it! What is this!? —They’re all girls! The knight and the magician I mentioned earlier are also girls! A girl wearing a Chinese dress! Two girls with beast ears! Two girls with identical face that seems to be twins! A loli girl! Two older girls with nice bodies! A Yamato Nadeshiko like girl wearing a kimono! There’s also a girl wearing a dress who looks like a European princess! A wild looking older woman who is carrying a sword on her back! There’s also a girl wearing a dancer’s outfit! There’s also a mysterious woman wearing a mask that hides half of her face! They are all beautiful woman or beautiful young girls!! An army of beauty actually exist!? Electricity runs through my body! ……! I see, so that’s what it is! This guy, Raiser, actually done it! Every guy's dream, —a harem! The High-class Devil who turned harem into reality! Raiser Phoenix! What a person…… What a guy……
“H-Hey, Rias…… This servant-kun over here is crying a lot while looking at me.”
Raiser said it while looking at me. He seems to be really freaked out by me. Buchou places her hand on her forehead when she sees me. “This boy’s dream is to have a harem. I think he was moved after looking at your servants.”
Yup yup. That’s exactly right. I’m crying because I saw my dream, my objective, right in front of me. Ah, what a lucky guy. They are all girls. “Gross~.”
“Raiser-sama, this person is freaking me out~.”
Raiser’s girls make a disgusted face while looking at me. Damn it! Fuck you all! | text_2 |
Raiser calms them while patting their bodies. “Don’t say that, my cute girls. Looking up to upper stream folks is what a lowly ones does. Let’s show them how passionate we are.”
Saying that, Raiser starts to have a tongue kiss with one of the girls! Uwah! He’s making noise by moving his tongue around! Buchou seems like she didn’t care. “Nn……afu……”
The girl is making a sweet voice while putting her legs around Raiser’s! Ugh, it’s also affecting my crotch! “Hauhauhauuu……”
Next to me, Asia has her face turn red and has her brain blow. This view must be too strong for Asia. Raiser takes his mouth away while there is a thread of saliva, and then starts to tongue kiss another girl! Don’t start the 2nd round in here! I mean, you can actually do those kinds of things with your servants!? So we can! Shit! So if I work hard I can become like this one day! Raiser who finished his 2nd tongue kiss smirks while looking down at me. —You will never be able to do this. I feel like this bastard is saying that to me. “You will never be able to do this.”
“Don’t say what I think you were saying! Damn it! Boosted Gear!”
I have my head full with rage and am super jealous, so I put my left hand up in the air, and then shouted. While emitting red lights, the thing that is possessed in my left arm shows itself. A red gauntlet which has a mark of a dragon engraved in it, — [Boosted Gear]. It’s a masterpiece Sacred Gear that gives enormous power to the possessor. I point my finger at Raiser and then tell him. “A womaniser like you isn’t good enough to be with Buchou!”
“Huh? Weren’t you looking up to the so-called womaniser?”
Ugh! He got right at the point! “S-Shut up! That’s different with the thing about Buchou! At this rate, you will continue to flirt with other girls even after you marry Buchou!”
“Heroes love women. That’s a saying in the human world, right? A good phrase indeed. But this is just a close relationship with my servants. Aren’t you also getting adored by Rias?”
T-That’s true…… But somehow I can’t forgive him! A hate towards a similar type as me? Ugggh, does it mean I’m still a kid since I’m getting irritated the more I come to know? “Hero my ass! You are just a bird guy! Fire bird Phoenix? Hahaha! That’s the same as Yakitori!”
Raiser puts a furious expression at my provocation. “Yakitori!? Y-You Low-class Deeeeevil! Don’t get ahead of yourself! That’s not the way you talk to a High-class Devil! Rias, what’s going on with your discipline towards your servants! ?”
Buchou just looks away and says “Like I care”. “Hey Yakitori-guy! I will just beat the crap out of you with my Boosted Gear!”
My Boosted Gear that I am so proud of! It doubles my power every 10 seconds, and after a while, I can even defeat a God! “We don’t need to have a game! I will just take you all down, right here, right now!”
[Boost!!] The sound came from the jewel located on the gauntlet, and at the same time my body gets overflowed with strength! It’s the proof that my power has doubled! My strike that even defeated the Fallen Angel, taste it with your own body! I was full of spirits, but Raiser just sighs. “Mira. Do it.”
“Yes, Raiser-sama.”
Raiser gives an order to his servant. She is small just like Koneko-chan and has a childish face. She takes out a stick that martial artists use and makes a battle posture after swinging her stick around. Hmm, I don’t feel like fighting such a small girl, but if I knock her stick away she will probably back down—. That’s what I thought, but suddenly my body feel lighter. It feels like my body is floating. Huh? The floor is—. CRAAAAASH! A loud noise comes to my ears. …………Ouch…… Pain passes through my whole body. ……What happened? “Gahaa!”
I’m in agony due to the pain in my stomach. Ouch...... My stomach? Was I hit in my stomach……? “Ise-san!”
Asia comes to my side and she put her hands on my stomach. Instantly, a green light envelops around my body. A warm feeling takes the pain in my stomach away. It’s the healing power that Asia possesses. It’s a Sacred Gear that can even heal Devils that doesn’t even have the divine protection of God. However, due to this, Asia was targeted by a Fallen Angel before……
More importantly, what happened to me? I know that I’m down on the floor. When I look around, there is a desk broken in half and stuff spread around the floor. When I look towards Raiser, the girl who has her stick aimed forward put her stick away. ……So I got hit. I couldn’t see it. Does it mean I received a damage without realising it? So I was hit towards the desk……
Raiser walks towards me, and says it to my ears while crouching down. “You are weak.”
—! That word carves a deep scar in my heart. “The one who you just fought is my [Pawn] Mira. She’s the weakest out of my servants, but she has more battle experience and has more talent as a Devil than you. Boosted Gear? Huh.”
Raiser starts knocking on my Sacred Gear and starts laughing with his nose. “This is certainly one of the invincible and dangerous Sacred Gears. By how you use it, not only me, but you can also defeat a Maou and God. There were quite a number of possessors who had that before. But there hasn’t been any case where it defeated a God or Maou. Do you know what this means?”
Raiser then laughs really loudly. “It means that this Sacred Gear is imperfect, and the possessors were also bunch of weaklings that couldn’t use it! You are no exception! How do you say this in the human world again? ……Yes, “Pearls before swine”. Fuhahaha! Yeah, pearls before swine! It’s about you! Rias’s [Pawn]-kun!”
Raiser starts slapping my head while laughing so loud. …………Damn it! I got so mortified that I clenched my teeth. I wanted to talk back but I can’t. It’s the truth that I am weak. I even lost to a girl smaller than me just now. I couldn’t even see her attack. I’m disappointed in myself! “But the match would be interesting if you were to get used to it.”
Raiser put his hand on his chin, and it seems like he thought of something. “Rias, how about we have a match in 10 days? We could do it now, but that wouldn't be interesting.”
“……Are you giving me a handicap.”
“Are you against it? Is it humiliating? [Rating Game] isn’t something simple that you can win with only your feelings. If you can’t use your servant’s power to the fullest, then you will lose immediately. So it’s not weird for you to train with your servants for your first [Rating Game]. I have seen Devils who lost without using their power to the fullest countless of times, no matter how great their potential and power was.”
Buchou doesn’t complain and listened quietly to what Raiser’s said. When Raiser directs his palm towards the ground, the magic-circle starts to glow. “—10 days. If it’s you, then you should be able to improve your servants.”
He then looks at me. “Don’t be a disgrace to Rias, Rias’s [Pawn]. Your blow is Rias’s blow.”
—! I understood immediately that his words carries his concern towards Buchou. | text_2 |
“Rias, the next time we meet will be at the game.”
Saying that, Raiser disappears in the light of the magic-circle along with his servants. “……Shit.”
I was desperate in keeping my anger and regret within myself while lying down on my bed. After that, the club activity; Devil’s job, was cancelled. Buchou went deep inside the old school building together with Akeno-san. It seems like they are having a strategy meeting. It looks like they are making strategies for the [Rating game]. This will be Buchou’s first match. Of course she wants to cancel the club activity to build a strategy. ―In 10 days. That’s too soon. I wonder if we can gather the factors needed to defeat Raiser and his servants within that time. Well, it won’t change much if a [Pawn] like myself says it. More than that, I showed off in front of Buchou and provoked Raiser only to get beaten down by a small girl……
Uwaaaaah! Just remembering it makes me want to die because of the embarrassment and regret that I have! ……Sigh. I’m so weak. I then look at my left arm. The absolute power which is possessed in here. [Boosted Gear] which increases the power to no limits. But it has many weak points. That’s me, who is vulnerable. In other words “Pearl before swine”. Just like Raiser said. Shit! I’m so weak……
Harem-king. My dream. The Devil who accomplished making a harem. Raiser. What’s the difference between us? “Ah, shit!”
I got up from the bed and then start to mess my hair up. Buchou said she still didn’t want to get married. She said she didn’t want to get married if her husband is Raiser. She chose to battle Raiser in order to break off the engagement. I don’t know much about their household and relation between High-class Devils issues because it’s too complicated, but I will only fight for Buchou’s sake! I have a debt of gratitude towards Buchou. A lot in fact. I want to fight for Buchou. I need to support Buchou! Okay! From tomorrow morning I will start my training again! More like training for the whole day! I can skip school if I tell Buchou. I’m going to spend my next 10 days on training. I will contact Kiba so I can learn how to use swords. I will ask Akeno-san how to use demonic-powers as well. I will learn close combat from Koneko-chan! Yup! I have decided! My decision is made! I will train for the next 10 days! I started to feel a bit at ease after making my decision. Hmm, I will go and have a bath now. I went downstairs and got ready to take a bath. I went inside the bathroom while feeling fired up and then took my clothes off quickly. After I take a bath, I will talk to Asia about tomorrow. OPEN. It happens when I open the door. “Ah……”
“What the……”
Asia and I meet inside the bathroom. A naked me—
And a naked Asia—!! A blonde haired beauty is standing fully naked in front of me! What luck! No no no, I mean accident! She was inside!? Since I was thinking about many things, I forgot to check if anyone is inside! Asia’s body is wet because she was taking a shower. Her blonde hair which is wet with hot water is glued onto her soft looking white skin. I-It’s sexy. More than that, you have nice proportions……Asia……
Her tight hips. Your small buttock is so lovely, damn it! Her thighs aren’t too skinny nor too fat, just the right size for me. If I see these thighs when she wears a skirt, I will be down on my knees. And her oppai which you can’t possibly know when she wears her clothes. It’s not small, and it isn’t that bad! Asia……I’m glad you have grown this much…… No, it’s not the time for being emotional! Why on earth am I staring at her body!? Shit! Why don’t I have a three-size scouter! This is my second time regretting it! Next time I will seriously ask Motohama to teach me that ability! That's the ultimate power! Isn’t it more impressive than my Sacred Gear!? That’s not it! I shouldn’t be staring at her anymore! I-I need to protect her! I need to make sure she can live safely! That’s what I promised myself! And yet I got excited by looking at her naked body—
…………
C-Crap—!! If I look carefully, Asia’s gaze is moving down towards my crotch. —No! Asia! It’s too early for you to look at—. “…………”
I was too late covering my partner. “Kyaaa!”
And the one who screamed is me. What am I doing!? I accidentally screamed! I mean it’s embarrassing to have my partner exposed to a girl! “—Ah.”
Asia’s whole body starts to go really red, and she looks away. Hey hey, don’t forget to hide your private parts, Asia! I can see everything! Is my thing so astonishing that you forgot to hide your private parts!? Thinking carefully, this will be her first time seeing a guy’s thing since she was a Sister. The word astonishing won’t even describe how she is feeling right now. In the worst case, it might become a trauma for her. Oh my, what have I done to this poor child! “S-Sorry! I-I will leave now!”
I turned around on the spot so I can leave the bathroom. However—
Asia grabs my wrist as if she is trying to stop me from leaving. W-What’s going on, Asia-chan!? “…………I-I’m sorry. It was……my first time seeing a boy’s…… I’m sorry……”
I couldn’t hear what she said because she said it while mumbling. Don’t push yourself. “N-No, I’m sorry too…… I came in without checking…… I’m sorry, I saw a lot of your……”
I apologised as well. I’m the one at fault here. I came in without checking who was inside the bath. I should have checked even if it wasn’t locked. After all, we got an additional new family member. But I saved the image of Asia’s naked body within my memory. Forgive me if I start remembering this afterwards. “No, I understand…… Everyone told me about the rule when you have a bath in Japan, s-so I’m all right……”
Asia says it shyly. Huh? S-She was told? Rule? Japanese rule for what? “In Japan, I heard that there is the thing called having a bath together…… That you get to know each other by having a bath together……”
—!! W-Who was it!? Who told Asia this wonderful……no! Who told Asia this weird information!? No, that’s not a mistake. There certainly is a thing like that in Japan. But that’s only between the same genders! Asia continues while having her cheeks go red. “……I-I was told……to do this with someone I want to form a special relationship with…… I-I don’t mind if its Ise-san……no, I want to deepen my relation with Ise-san even more…… That’s why will you have a bath together with me……?”
NOSEBLEED! So much blood comes out from my nose. Lately it has been happening a lot! …………Wait. It will be dangerous if it stays like this any longer, Asia. I-I’m also a guy. I will lose myself if I hear a magic word like that! This girl doesn’t know what will happen to me if I did. I mean, Asia believes in me from the bottom of her heart. If I become a wolf and push her down—. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! I can’t do that! No, I want to! But I can’t! I mean, it’s this girl! It seems like she will forgive me even if I do her! I can’t do something like that to someone innocent like her! Daaaaaaaaaaaammit! This is the situation I longed for! | text_2 |
It was stopped just before the good stuff with Buchou! This is revenge! I know that! But why do I feel so guilty when it’s with Asia!? Pushing her down is easy. I can do it now with this flow and get a feeling of enjoyment. But the problem is after that. I know I will regret it very much. I probably won’t forgive myself for the rest of my life. It won’t be a problem if it happens after we build that sort of relationship, but Asia and I aren’t in that kind of relationship yet! Last time with Buchou, I went along with the flow, but now I have to control myself! Simply having a physical relationship will hurt both of us! I need to protect Asia! I can’t lose myself! I have to endure it! I turned around to Asia after making up my mind. I grab onto her shoulders and then opened my mouth. But Asia’s skin is soooooft! “Asia! Listen carefully, I will tell you about having a bath together! More importantly, since you are a girl, if a guy enters the bathroom then you have to make sure you defend—”
I kept my ambition inside myself desperately while being confused. I need to tell her the action she must take when she encounters a guy in the bathroom—. DOOR OPENS. The door suddenly opens. “Asia-chan. I will leave the towel here—”
My “Okaa-sama” appears. It seems like she is trying to put the towel on top of the washing machine, but she froze her posture after seeing me and Asia together. ……Holy shit. I can’t make any excuses, since we don’t have our clothes on! No matter how you look at us, we only look like a guy and a girl that is trying to have sex! Mum leaves the bathroom while moving like a robot. Then, my mum shouts. “O-Otou-san~! W-We are going to have a grandchild~!”
I got out of the bathroom while being naked. I used both my hands to hide my face. There is one thing I was thinking about while I’m running towards my room. Someone, please kill me! The next morning. I called Asia into my room. We are sitting opposite each other in a seiza posture. “Listen up, Asia-san.”
“Yes, Ise-san.”
“Guys are wolves. You will be eaten if you approach them carelessly.”
“……Men are werewolves? That is scary……I sure won’t be able to walk outside during the full moon then.....”
Asia takes what I had said seriously. I got a headache. ……Man, I’m seriously getting a headache. The day after the bathroom incident, I started to give a lecture to Asia about how dangerous guys are. This girl is too defenceless. Well, it’s not like Asia had an ordinary life, so it can’t be helped if she is a bit different. But, I have to tell her how guys my age are dangerous, and that girls like her that isn’t careful will become their prey easily. If I don’t, she won’t be able to have a safe school life. Well, if there are guys like that who approaches Asia, then I will beat the crap out of them. No, that won’t be enough. I need to teach her how her purity is something very important to her. However, shouldn’t it be girls teaching these things to other girls……? By the way, after that incident, my parents went to a discount store which is opened even at night. They bought baby clothes and baby toys while putting on a big smile. No matter how much I explained to them, they simply said things like, “Don’t worry, I know about it. Shotgun marriage are accepted nowadays. Oh my, I sure would like a girl for my first grandchild!”, or, “So I ‘m going to become a grandpa…… If it’s a boy then I have to buy him a new carp streamer. Looks like my family has become “international” now. Maybe I should learn how to speak English.”
It’s useless. My family is worthless. Now, getting back to the part where guys are dangerous. I say it to Asia again. “That’s not it, Asia. Guy’s around my age……guys in their teens are very interested in girls. It’s not an exaggeration if I were to say that they are always thinking about girls. Actually, we think about naughty stuff every few seconds. If there are days when we see a panty-shot, then that will be a day to celebrate for us. By the way, panty-shot is a phenomenon where we get a glimpse of girl’s panties from under their skirt.”
“Do you also think about naughty stuff as well, Ise-san?”
“Yeah, of course. I’m also perverted. You know that very well, right Asia?”
“Yes.”
Asia replied with a smile. There’s a crack in my heart from her carefree smile. I see, so she knows I’m perverted. “Y-Yeah, I’m perverted. Guys like that are really scary. That’s why guys like that drag pure girls like you into a dark place and do something very bad.”
“Something very bad?”
Asia tilts her head adorably. Man, each of her actions is damn cute. “T-They touch your body! Then they touch your body again! Then again they touch your body! In other words they do indecent actions towards girls! It’s dangerous, right? Scary, right?”
“Yes, I’m scared. But if I am in danger, Ise-san will come and save me.”
Asia smiles and answers me like she actually means it. —My eyes are getting hot. Like I thought, she truly believes in me. I’m emotionally moved. No, no. I’m getting off topic. It’s not the time to be emotional. I then continued after making a cough. “But Asia, you have to increase your awareness as a girl. I’m really scared because you don’t doubt other people.”
“You are scared, Ise-san?”
“Yeah, I am. If some guys do something to you when I’m not looking, then I might kill those guys. I’m that worried about you, Asia.”
I told her seriously and sincerely. Asia is listening to me seriously as well since I’m putting on a serious face. What I told her is my actual feeling. If someone ever deceives and hurts Asia, then I won’t hold back even if that person is a human. I’m a Devil. I also possess an insane Sacred Gear. Even if I’m far superior to a human, I won’t hold back my anger. Even if Buchou tries to kill me, I will still beat the crap out of that guy. That’s how important Asia is to me. Is it because she’s a girl? That is part of it. Because I like her? That is also the part of it. But more than that, I changed her life drastically. I changed her life that she could have finished as a Sister to a life that is the complete opposite of it. I made her into a Devil because of my own justice. —No, my own selfishness. At that time, that may have been the best solution. However I……
Buchou isn’t blaming me since she said to me, “I wanted to make her into my servant, so you don’t have to be concerned about it, Ise”. But that’s won’t be enough. I need to look after her so she can live peacefully. For the rest of my life, that is. I, Hyoudou Issei, need to protect Asia Argento for the rest of my life. Obviously, I will also protect Buchou, but protecting Asia may be similar yet a bit different. Yeah, I need to think about it carefully again. “Protecting Buchou”. I like Buchou as a girl, but I want to protect her since I also look up to her. It’s similar to how a samurai serves his master. You can say that it’s a similar feeling of a subordinate of a person who is aiming to reach the top. “Protecting Asia”. I like Asia as a girl. | text_2 |
However, I think it’s more like how a brother wants to protect his adorable little sister. That’s why I’m chasing away guys very strictly that are trying to get close to Asia. Well, since I don’t have a sister, I don’t know if it’s similar or not. Except, I also want Asia to get stronger as well. So I can have a lifestyle where I can always laugh with her. “I understand. I would definitely not do anything that would trouble you, Ise-san. That’s why, please teach me a more.”
“Yeah, I know. But I think it’s better to be taught by a girl rather than a person of the opposite sex like me. I will also talk to Buchou and Akeno-san, so just get used to the current lifestyle bit by bit.”
“Yes.”
Phew. I sigh. Looks like it will work. Anyway, I will talk to the girls from Occult Research Club once I get to school. Obviously, I will tell them while hiding the fact about the bathroom incident. Then Asia asks me a question. “U-Umm……Ise-san, there’s one question I want to ask you.”
Asia got shy and her face got red. What is it? So abruptly. “I-If the bath incident……happened with Buchou-san instead of me……would you have had a bath with her……?”
What……
I got speechless at a question I didn’t expect to hear. I never expected Asia to ask me a question like this. But Asia has a serious face even though her face is red. Huh? Huh? Why did she ask me a question like that? I don’t get it. Why did Buchou come into the topic? However, even if Buchou was at that scene, and she said the same thing Asia did……
“Ise, come over here. I will wash your back. Ufufu, are you feeling nervous? It’s alright, you are my cute servant so you can leave everything to me.”
Buchou’s slim white fingers touches my back. I started getting excited. “Here, turn around. Ara? Ufufu. Even though you are feeling nervous, this thing down here is being so honest. It’s just like you, Ise.”
Buchou’s hand reaches between my legs, and then—. …………
Huh!? Oh shit I was imagining something bad. Ah! There’s blood flowing out of my nose! B-But if Buchou did say that to me, I won’t know what to do! “Can I wash your oppai, Buchou! ?”
I may ask her that without feeling scared. I can also imagine Buchou allowing me to touch it while smiling. Damn it! This imagination alone would be enough for using it for those kind of things! I look at Asia, and her eyes are teary. “So that’s it, isn’t it? Then it’s okay if it’s Buchou-san? Sob……it’s okay. I know. I knew about it. I already knew about it. But still, sob……”
She’s crying! Asia is crying! Why!? How!? I start to panic after seeing her. “Geez, what are you two doing, early in the morning?”
A familiar voice. When I turn around, Buchou is sighing while wavering her crimson hair. “B-Buchou.”
“A lover’s quarrel in the morning? You two are so close like always.”
“N-No, t-this is!”
“Hurry, let’s go. Get ready for lodging.”
Go? Where? Wait, lodging!? Buchou answers me with a smile. “We will go to the mountain to train.”
“Hee-hee……”
I’m inhaling a lot of air while carrying a crazy number of bags. “Yahoo!”
[Yahoo!] I can hear someone’s echo. Damn it, it must be a mountain hiker. They sure are having fun. Right now, I’m in the mountains. We were brought here by Buchou, after she said we were going to train. Buchou who suddenly came to my house this morning, made me and Asia pack our stuff. The other members were already gathered and we came here by teleporting from the magic-circle. The weather is so good that the sky is clear. The surrounding is filled with trees, and you can hear the cries of the birds. In terms of viewing the mountain, it’s incredible. But the problem is this slope. Every step I take drains my stamina away. And a lot of my sweat falls onto the ground. “Hurry, Ise. Quick.”
Buchou, who is way ahead of me, urges me. Beside Buchou is Asia. She is looking at me with a worried expression. “……I will help as well.”
“It’s okay, since Ise won’t be able to get stronger if he can’t do this much.”
I can hear the two talking. Thank you Asia. And Buchou, you are cruel like always. ……More importantly, carrying this much luggage is impossible. Buchou, they are too heavy……
I have a huge piece of luggage on my back. I also have other bags on my shoulders. They are my bags and Buchou’s bags. I also have Akeno-san’s bag as well. Apparently this is also part of the training. I think I’m going to die before I reach the destination. What’s inside this luggage? “Buchou, I gathered some herbs. Let’s use it for the meal tonight.”
Kiba says that while walking pass me with a cool expression. He’s also carrying a huge piece of luggage on his back. I lost my words when I saw him walk up the mountains without any difficulty. He has quite the amount of stamina since he also went to gather some herbs during our way here. “……See you later.”
Then Koneko-chan who is carrying more luggage than me walks past me! Guha! Superhuman girl show her talent! Damn, I can’t lose to them! “Uoryaaaaaa!”
I then went up the mountain at full throttle! Haahaaha! Shit I’m going to die! I’m seriously going to die! While repeating something like this over and over again, we reach the mansion. This mansion made from wood belongs to the House of Gremory. Usually it is hidden by blending in with the scenery from humans by using demonic-powers, but it has appeared since we will be using it. I can smell the scent of wood after getting inside. I went to the living room to put the bags away, and slept on the floor after drinking a glass of water. The girls went upstairs to get changed into a clothing where they can move easier. “I will also go and get changed.”
Kiba went to a room located on the first floor carrying a blue jersey. “Don’t peek.”
Kiba says something messed up jokingly. “I will seriously punch you, bastard!”
I didn’t have the strength to stand, so I glared at him with eyes filled with killing intent. Geez, if girls from our school saw us, then they will cause an uproar again. It’s already bad since the BL pairing of “Me x Kiba” and “Kiba x Me” are getting popular lately. It got popular because it was the “Beauty and the Beast” pairing. I don’t understand what’s going on in their heads. Wait, that means that I’m the beast. I won’t forgive them! I got changed at the empty room after I rested for a bit, and my stamina restored a bit as well. Even the empty room comes with bed and equipment necessary for everyday use. But it doesn’t come with a television. By the time I finished getting changed, everyone has already gathered in the living room. Buchou who is wearing a red jersey smiles and says it after she sees me. “Now then let’s start our training outside right away.”
Lesson 1: Sword training with Kiba. “Yo, ha.”
“Orya! Oryaaa!”
I was sword training with Kiba and I swung down the bokuto at him. Kiba evades my attack smoothly. No matter how much force I apply to my swings, it doesn't seem like it will hit Kiba. BASH! Kiba hit away my bokuto again. “That’s not it. | text_2 |
Don’t just look at the opponent’s sword movements but also widen your line of vision so you can pay see both the opponent and the surroundings.”
It’s not that simple as he says, so the more I practiced with Kiba, the more I realise the difference in strength between us. Like I thought, since he's a [Knight], Kiba’s techniques are overwhelming. He beat me with minimal movements. He has practiced for a longer time, has more battle experience, and more than that, his talent at using a sword is much better than me. “We are not done yet. Here I come!”
I realised once again on this day about how Kiba’s sword technique is amazing. Lesson 2: Demonic-power training with Akeno-san. “That’s not it. You gather the demonic-power by drifting the aura that covers your whole body. You have to concentrate and feel the wave of demonic-power.”
I can’t even gather demonic-power into my hand at all, even if Akeno-san who is wearing a black jersey is the one teaching thoroughly. Gunnnn...... Concentrate! I need to concentrate hard! I have to gather the demonic-power in my hand while imagining of creating something! “I did it!”
Asia who is wearing a white jersey has gathered a mass of demonic-power in her hands. A light green coloured demonic-power. So Asia’s demonic-power is green. It’s beautiful. “Ara ara. So Asia-chan has talent in using demonic-powers after all.”
Asia’s cheeks got red after Akeno-san give her complimented to her. Ngh...... I on other hand is the complete opposite. Even the letter "D" for demonic-power hasn't appeared. I somehow made a really small sphere of demonic-power, but it's not big like Asia’s one that has the size of a softball, instead it has a size of a rice. ............Well, if Asia can get stronger then that’s fine. I-I have the ultimate Sacred Gear anyway! Hahaha! “Now lets change those demonic-power into fire, water and lightning. You can make this by imagining it, however, it will be easier for beginners to actually move fire and water using their demonic-power.”
Akeno-san sends her demonic-power into the water inside the water bottle. SPIKE! The water that received the demonic-power formed into the shape of a spike and ripped the water bottle from the inside. Wow, that’s amazing. “Asia-chan, I want you to copy what I just did next. Ise-kun, I want you to continue to on concentrating your demonic-powers. The source of demonic-power is imagination. Anyway it’s important to materialise what your imagined.”
Hmm. Imagining huh. To materialise what you imagine in your head......
“It may be easier to materialise what you are good at and what you always imagine more quickly.”
That’s what you say, Akeno-san. It's not like I--
Hmm? I see, something I’m good at and something I always think about huh. Ah, then does that mean “that” wild ideas of mine is also possible? “Akeno-san, do you have a minute?”
If I can make something I always think about into reality......
Then I may become invincible! Wow, that’s awesome! Even I think this idea of mine is great! After Akeno-san goes blank, she smiles at me while saying, "Ufufu, that sure is something you would come up with Ise-kun”. Oh! So this may be possible then? Akeno-san went back to the mansion. She brings something and put it in front of me. --She brought loads of onions, carrots, and potatoes. They are the ingredients for curry. “Now then, Ise-kun. During our stay here, I want you to strip all of these off with your demonic-power.”
Ah, I get it. I understand what Akeno-san is trying to say and what she wants me to do. Looks like it’s a road ahead will be full with bumps. Lesson 3: Sparing with Koneko-chan. “Nugagaaaaaa.”
BANG! Gufu! Today I succeeded in getting pushed into a big tree for the tenth time. No, that’s not it. I got blown away by Koneko-chan’s punch once again! Ku! I'm frustrated! “......Weak.”
A loli girl who is wearing a yellow jersey gives her harsh words to me. Shit, I’m so shocked! I felt it with the incident with Raiser, but getting beaten by a small girl is quite a shocking experience for me. Koneko-chan is a Devil girl who is good at doing throwing moves, pinning moves, and other kind of martial arts. She’s insanely strong with the mix of a [Rook]'s traits of super strength and super high defence. She’s also keen because she has a small body, so if I look away she will immediately be right in front of me and give a blow to my body. She's holding back quite a lot, but it still hurts if I'm hit by her. “......You have to aim at the centre of the body when you give a blow where you hit with accuracy and also by thrusting your blow deep into the opponent’s body.”
Even if she says that, it will be hard for a newbie like me to even land my hit on the opponent. Koneko-chan starts to swirl her arm around then pointed her fist at me. “......Now then, we'll have another round.”
Looks like I’ll be killed. Lesson 4: With Buchou! “Hey, Ise! Keep on going!”
“Oosu!”
I'm currently climbing up a very steep mountain. I have a rock on my back. It's tied to my body with rope. On top of that, Buchou is sitting on the rock. I'm repeating a procedure where I climb down the mountain path, and then up the mountain path. The mountain path with no walking path is really exhausting. By the time my legs got numb after I did dozens of laps, Buchou finally forgives me by saying, "Okay, we are done with this". “Next is muscle training. We will go with push ups.”
“Y-Yes......”
She’s a Oni. A Oni-Buchou! I lack the basic ability so much, so I have way more training than the other club members. Also for a [Pawn] who has to run around the battlefield the most, increasing your strength and stamina is a absolute requirement. “Guwaa!”
Buchou put a rock on my back without mercy when I was in the posture for doing a push up. Demonic-power truly is useful because you can lift a rock up in the air with ease. If only she used that to carry the luggage...... SIT. “Unn......”
Then Buchou sits on top of the rock. Even a slight force impact my body......
“Now then, the three-hundred reps of push ups. Let’s start.”
“Osu!”
I would have already died hundred times if I wasn't a Devil. “Uoooo! It's delicioooous! It’s really delicious!”
We are having our dinner after finishing a day of training. We have an extravagance of food on the table. The herbs that Kiba collected earlier was used for spices. The meat dish. Apparently its the boar Buchou hunted. It's my first time eating boar meat, however it tastes good because it doesn't have any strange tastes to it! The fish dish. It seems like Buchou was also the one that caught these fish. The simply cooked fish with salts sprinkled on them taste good as well! There are also different types of food on the table. “Ara ara. We still have more food left so eat as much as you want.”
The one who refills my rice is Akeno-san. Rather, these foods are handmade by Akeno-san! Kaaaa! It’s good! It’s really good! Everyone's digging into the food. | text_2 |
We are all seriously tired from the training after all and that’s why I can fill my stomach with lots of food. Most of the things inside the luggage were equipment used for cooking. It was worth carrying all that luggage desperately from that hard mountain path if I got to eat delicious food like this! I probably shouldn’t say it out loud about how Koneko-chan is eating a lot of food quickly. “Akeno-san, you are the best! I even want you as my wife!”
“Ufufu, you are embarrassing me.”
Akeno-san smiles while she puts her hand on her cheek. You look so good in that Japanese apron. “......I also made this soup.”
Huh! The one who is looking sad beside me is Asia. She looks so sulky. The onion soup that is on the table. Apparently Asia was the one who made it. She probably feels down because I only praised Akeno-san’s food. I get the bowl and drink the soup with one sip. Yup, it’s good! “It’s good Asia! It’s the best! Give me another one!”
“It is!? I’m so glad...... Then now I can become Ise-san's......”
“Hmmm? I couldn’t hear the last part. What was that?”
“N-No, it’s nothing!”
Asia waves her hand while her face becomes red. Huh? What was she trying to say? “Now, Ise. From today’s training what have you found out?”
Buchou asks me after drinking green tea. I put my chopsticks down and give her my honest answer. “......I am the weakest among us.”
“Yes. That’s for sure.”
I feel like crying after she answers plainly. “Akeno, Yuuto, and Koneko have lots of battle experience even though they have not participated in the game, so they can fight if they get used to it. But you and Asia basically don't have any experience yet. Even so, Asia’s healing ability and your Boosted Gear is something that can’t be ignored. Even the enemy knows that. I want you to have at least the power to run away from the enemy.”
“Run......? Is it that hard?”
Buchou nods at my question. “Running away is also a part of the strategy. Retreating to form a new formation is also a professional way of battling. There are ways to win a match like that. However, running away with your back facing an enemy is something quite hard. If it’s an enemy with roughly the same strength as you, it is easy, but showing your back to an enemy who is far superior to you is basically asking them to kill you. So being able to run away from such enemy will also be the part of your strength. So I have to teach you and Asia the time you have to run away. Of course, I will also teach you how to fight the enemy head on.”
“Roger that.”
“Yes.”
Asia and I reply to Buchou at the same time. It's unavoidable that Asia got involved in this fight since she became a member of the Gremory group. ......I also need to have the power to protect Asia as well. In the worst case I will have to become Asia’s shield. That is the resolution I need to have. “Let’s take a bath after the meal. It’s an outdoor bath so it’s wonderful.”
--! With Buchou’s words I started to think about naughty stuff! Bath!? Outdoor bath!? The open air bath!? If it’s an outdoor bath, then it’s a place to peek! Peeking is the right way for an outdoor bath! Yeah, it’s a sin not to peek if you are born as a man! “I’m not going to peek, Ise-kun.”
Kiba says that beforehand with a smile. “Idiot! D-Don't blurt it out!”
“Oh, Ise. Do you want to peek at us while we are taking a bath?”
Everyone looks at me after Buchou’s question. Uwa. I feel awkward. ......I feel like apologising for being a perv. But Buchou chuckles. “Then how about you bath with us? I don’t mind.”
What! I can feel electricity running through my body! Ku! Buchou Japanese is stunning like always! I feel like crying all the time because of it! “How about you, Akeno?”
“I don’t mind if it’s Ise-kun. Ufufu. I might want to wash a gentleman’s back.”
Akeno-san gives her approval with a smile! I totally want her to wash my baaaaaack! Absurd! It’s okay then!? It’s really okay!? How unguarded can the girls from this club get!? “How about you, Asia? You should be all right if it's your beloved Ise, right?”
Asia got red and became quiet after Buchou’s question, but she eventually makes a small nod with her head. Uwah! I never thought a situation like this would happen to me!? W-WWWWWWW-What should I do!? I! I! I’m confident that I will have to bend my body forward the whole time! “Lastly Koneko? How about it?”
“......No.”
She rejects me!? N-No, my sensation paralysed for a moment, but this is a natural response from an ordinary girl! “Then, it’s a no. Too bad, Ise.”
Buchou chuckles with a naughty expression. What...... I feel as though they raised my hopes up, then dropped me to the depths of abyss. Because of the shocking conclusion, my view becomes black. Sob, I was so close...... So having a situation which is like an dream is hard to make it into a reality after all. Then it looks like I have to peek--. “......If you peek, then I will hold a grudge against you forever.”
Guha! Koneko-chan says that to me first! Shit! It’s a no after all! I had my hopes up! “Ise-kun, let’s have a naked bath together. I will wash your back.”
“Shuuuuuut up! I'll seriously kill you, Kibaaaa!”
My shout of anger echoes throughout the mansion. Training Day 2. When I woke up in the morning, what awaited me was the intense pain of muscle aches. That’s because I also trained at night. “There's a night training planned for doing it at night as well. We are the resident of night after all.”
Buchou says. The training was much harder than the training I do every morning. It has a few times more training than the one I did in the morning. Even if a Devil is much stronger at night, I would still die if I train both during the day and night. I was already in a bad mood because I had to share the room with Kiba. When I heard the girls' voices that are having fun from upstairs, I regretted being born as a guy. Then in the morning for day 2, it was study time. We gathered at the living room, and they apparently decided to teach me and Asia about Devils' knowledge. Therefore they were teaching me some weird names that were hard to remember. Because I was taught things that I don’t even understand, my brain was about to get fried. When they pumped quite a decent amount of information, Kiba asks me a question. “Our greatest enemy. The Angels led by God. What is the name given to the highest rank Angels? Also the ones among them?”
“Ummm, it’s "Seraphim", right? The members are......Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and......hmm, Uriel?”
“Correct.”
Phew...... So it’s correct. I remembered that they all have an “-el” at the end of their name, so somehow I remembered them all. “Next is our “Maou"-sama. What are the names of the “Yondai Maou-sama”?”
“Sure! Piece of Cake! I’m planning to meet them when I get a peerage! So I remembered all their names perfectly! Lucifer-sama, Beelzebub-sama, and Asmodeus-sama! And lastly the female Maou-sama that I look up to, Leviathan-sama!”
“Correct.”
“I’m definitely going to meet Leviathan-sama!”
I heard from Buchou. | text_2 |
That the person standing at the top of the female Devils is the Maou Leviathan-sama. I also heard that she is a very beautiful Maou-sama! I was also told that I could meet her if I'm lucky! Ku! I can’t wait! How beautiful will she be? Since she is Maou-sama, she must be very beautiful......
Haa...... I really want to meet her. “Then next, I will ask you to say the names of the leaders of the Fallen Angels that you hate the most, Ise-kun.”
Here it comes. The names of those Fallen Angels I totally hate...... The Fallen Angels have more leaders than the other factions. And their names are complicated...... But I remember the names of the top two. “The main group of the Fallen Angel is called “Grigori”. The name of the Governor is “Azazel” and the name of the Vice-governor is “Shemhaza”. I know completely up to here. And the name of the leaders are...... Armaros......Barakiel......Tamiel...... Ah, and, hmmm, huh? Bene-something and C-C-Cociane......?”
“Benemue, Kokabiel and Shariel. You have to remember them properly. This is also the basics. It’s the same as remembering the names of the prime minister and the vice-prime minister of Japan as well as the leaders of the surrounding countries.”
How can I!? They have too many leaders! Two is enough! What are the jobs of the other leaders, then!? Man, that’s why Fallen Angels are such a pain. I can't come to like them. They are probably scum anyway. Also they watch over the “Children of God”, in other words the “Sacred Gear” possessors twenty-four seven. That’s also the reason why I was attacked and why Asia was killed once. The Fallen Angels made a group to research about the Sacred Gears. They invite beneficial Sacred Gear possessors to their group or they take their Sacred Gears. If they aren’t beneficial then they kill them on the spot. Seriously they are the biggest scum ever. They even kill those possessors that do not know about their own Sacred Gear. That’s how I was. They seem to be the greatest enemy of the Devils, so I won’t hold back on them. I won’t hold back on those guys who did such a terrible thing to Asia! Like this I was taught about the Angels and the Fallen Angels. It’s becoming quite useful to know. I need to remember especially about the relation between the Devils and other factions since they are important. Then next, Asia starts her lesson. “Cough. Then now, I, Asia Argento will explain about the basics of the exorcists.”
Oh. Clap-clap. I give a clap to Asia who is about to speak front of everyone. Ah, she turns red. Thank you very much for such a cute response. “U-Umm. From the place I used to belonged to, there were two types of exorcists.”
“Two types?”
Asia nods at my question. “The first type are the ones that appears in films and novels. The father reads a section of the book, then he uses the holy water to get rid of the Devil from the person’s body. They exorcists on the "surface" . So the exorcist on the "behind" are the ones that is a threat to us.”
Buchou continues from where Asia left off. “Ise, you also have met him before, but the greatest threat to Devils' are exorcists who received the divine protection from a God or the Fallen Angels. We have been fighting against them for a very long time behind the scene. They come to destroy us with the power of light received from the Angels, and with their physical bodies that they trained to the uttermost limits.”
Then I remembered the crazy priest boy from before. He was a crazy exorcist with white hair. He not only kills Devils but also those who have connections to a Devil. To tell the truth, he's the type of person I don’t want to meet ever again. While I was thinking about it, Asia takes out loads of stuff from her bag. Buchou picks up a small bottle with water inside it with her fingers and is holding it as if she is touching something disgusting. “Now I will talk about the traits of holy water and the Bible. First of all, the holy water. It will be very terrible if a Devil touches it.”
“That’s true, so you can’t touch it as well, Asia. Your skin will get harmed.”
“Sob, that’s right...... I can’t touch the holy water any more......”
Asia gets shocked after hearing Buchou’s comment. Well, she is a Devil after all. “I will tell you how to make one afterwards. I don’t know if it will be useful but there are a couple of ways to make them.”
Maybe this is her strong field, so Asia continues to talk energetically. Yo, Devil priestess! She'll probably cry if I say such thing. I need to control myself. “Next is the Bible. I have been reading it every day since I was a child. But I’m in trouble now because it gives me a pain in the head even if I only read a sentence of it.”
“You are a Devil.”
“You are a Devil after all.”
“.......A Devil.”
“Ufufu, Devil’s receive intense damage.”
“Sob, I can’t read the Bible any more!”
Asia starts to have teary eyes after everyone points it out to her. I heard from Buchou before. We Devils suffer greatly if someone reads out the Bible to us. I haven’t experienced it yet, but I may suffer because of boredom if someone read it out to me. Wait, so that means Asia has been reading the Bible. If she continues she might die one day! “However, this is my favourite phrase...... Oh God. Please forgive a sinful person like myself who can’t read the Bible--au!”
She received damage again by praying to God. Please God, just ignore this child’s prayer. Like this, after we finished our morning study session we went onto our evening training. There were a few things I found out while training like this with everyone for several days in this mountain. I have no talent in using swords. I have no talent in martial arts. I have no talent in demonic-power. And the most crucial one is that I am insanely weak. I realise how small, I am the more I train with the others. --I won’t be useful in the game. Yeah, I don’t have a healing ability like Asia. What I’m doing all right is peeling off the vegetables. Well, that is also a part of the training. I’m......so weak and so useless. That night at the mansion. I’m looking at the ceiling while lying down on my bed. A week has passed since we came to the mountains. It’s been training from morning to night. We also repeated many offense and defence formation as well as combination that we may use for the upcoming game. I look towards Kiba who is sleeping on the bed besides mine. He’s sleeping peacefully. ……Kiba is amazing. I realise the difference between us the more we train together. I’ll probably never beat Kiba in a sword fight. His skills he attained with his own talent and loads of training. I don’t have either. If I train hard from now on, will I have swordsmanship on par with Kiba? After how many years will that be? No, after how many decades? No, maybe I won’t reach his level in eternity. I——. In demonic-power training. Asia keeps on improving her besides me. She starts to master using fire, water, and lightning, despite it being small. | text_2 |
But I on other hand can only make a mass of demonic-power that is the size of a grain of rice. I——. Ah, damn it! I can’t resist it any longer, so I got up from the bed slowly and headed towards the kitchen. When I was drinking a cup of water—. “Ara? Your awake?”
Buchou’s voice came from the living room. When I look, there is Buchou who is sitting where the table is. “Ah, Buchou. Hello.”
“Why are you so stiff? Good timing, let’s talk for a bit.”
The tealight makes a faint glow on top of the table. Devils can see at night, even if there are no lights. Thanks to that, we were able to train even at night. Then this candle is used probably for looks then. I then sit opposite of Buchou where we have the table between us. Buchou is wearing a red negligee while wearing glasses and tying her crimson hair into one. “Huh? Buchou, do you have bad eyesight?”
“Oh, this? It’s just for looks. I can think more clearly while having my glasses on. Fufufu, this is the proof that I have been in the human’s world for so long.”
Buchou chuckles. Even Buchou with glasses looked beautiful…… More like, she also looks wonderful when she wears a negligee! On the table there are loads of paper that looks like a map and battle formation. ……Was she making a plan by herself at night? Buchou closes the notebook with different strategies written on it. “……To be honest, the only thing I will get by reading this is to have a peace of mind.”
Buchou says it while making a sigh. “Why is that?”
“If the opponent is another High-class Devil, then we could fight by reading this. This book is written with lots of research. But that isn’t the problem.”
“? Then what’s wrong?”
“Raiser himself. No, the biggest problem is that our opponent is the Phoenix.”
Buchou takes out a book after answering me and puts it on the table. She then points out at an opened page. There is a picture of a fire bird with its wings spread wide open heroically. “A long time ago the mystical beast, Phoenix, was looked upon by humans as a bird that governs life. It was so looked upon that it left it legend in many countries in the human world where it’s told that the tears of the Phoenix can heal any wounds, and the blood that flows within its body can give eternal youth to those that drink it.”
But there was also another clan that is different from the mystical beast Phoenix. They are the Devils that had the rank of Marquis, and were counted as one of the “72 pillars”. The “Phoenix” from the Devils' side. “The humans named the Devils' Phoenix as “Phenex” to distinguish it from the mystical beast Phoenix, however the mystical beast Phoenix has the same ability as Raiser’s clan. —In other words immortality. That’s the opponent we must fight someone against.”
Immortal!? H-Hold on! “That’s cheating! I mean being immortal is basically being invincible!”
“Yes. They are basically invincible. Even if you attack them, their wounds will heal right away. Their flames won’t even leave a bone left. Eight wins and two losses. This is the record that Raiser has at the official “Rating Game”. He fought ten times and won eight matches. He lost two of the match on purpose as kindness to one of the households he is close to. In reality he won all of his matches. He already became a candidate to obtain a title in the official game.”
……What. I lost the words from my mouth. I now understand what Buchou meant by “problem”. —It’s Raiser! She is thinking of a way to beat that bastard! “I felt something uneasy when I heard that Raiser was chosen as my fiancé. Yes, I think Otou-sama and the others chose him in case something like this was to happen. They chose Raiser so I will have no choice but to marry him. Even if it becomes a match between households, they knew that there was no way for me to win. In chess you would say they tricked me. A swindle.”
No matter how strong Buchou is, her parents knew that there was no way that that Buchou could beat someone immortal. That’s unfair! Then no matter whose daughter it is, they can’t avoid getting married. “When the Rating Game became popular, the ones who climbed up the most is the House of the Phoenix. There weren’t that many battles among Devils until the game were introduced. In a game where the [King] also participates, the strength of Phoenix became clearer. The House of Phoenix is the leading group among the strongest class. —Immortal. Devils realised how terrifying this power was for the first time.”
If they are immortal, then they can resurrect no matter how many times they are defeated. The other Devils have limits to their powers unlike the Phoenix, so they would get defeated once they get exhausted. Uwa! They are so insanely strong that it’s unfair! —And that is our opponent! Even if we defeat Raiser’s servant, the beauties army, it doesn’t mean anything if we don’t defeat Raiser. No, the question is can we even defeat him? It won’t be a fight where they planned to cheat to beat us, would it? Buchou chuckles after looking at my serious face. “You know, it’s not like we can’t defeat Raiser?”
“Are you serious! ?”
“Yes. There are two ways you can defeat him. One is to beat him down with incredible power and the other one is to keep on taking him down until his mind crushes. The first method requires the strength of a God-class. The second one is to save our stamina until Raiser gets his mind crushed. Even if his body is immortal where he can resurrect his body many times, his mind isn’t immortal. His mind will definitely tire down every time we defeat him. It’s our win if we completely crush down the Phoenix’s mind. Then he will stop resurrecting and he will fall. Well, the easiest way is to defeat him with a power that is on par with God that crushes him down with one strike which takes down both his body and mind.”
……Won’t both methods need a lot of effort to it pull off? Is it even possible to do something like that in our first battle? No, we have to do it. In other words we have to fight until he says “I resurrected so much that I lost the will to fight so please forgive me”. Oh yeah, I will ask her the question that has been bothering this whole time. “Buchou.”
“What is it?”
“Why do you hate Raiser……no, more like, why are you against this marriage?”
Buchou sighs at my question. Certainly Raiser seems like a scum and is quite the womaniser, but I think she can’t reject this arrangement if you think about Buchou’s house problem. “……I’m a “Gremory”.”
“Huh? W-Well, you certainly are……”
“No. I didn’t re-introduce myself. I’m a Devil from the House of Gremory, and that name will follow me to wherever I go.”
Oh, I think I get it. “Do you hate it?”
“I feel proud of it. However, this is also something that is a burden to me. Everyone looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. I can’t have them look at me simply as Rias. That’s why I’m enjoying my life in the human world. They don’t know about the Gremory the Devil. Everyone looks at me as who I am. I really like that feeling. | text_2 |
I never felt something like this in the Devils' society, and I never will now on as well. The only time I can enjoy my life as myself is when I’m in the human world.”
Buchou has a distant look. She also has very sad eyes. She told me a story of the world that I can never imagine. I’m Hyoudou Issei, and I never felt anything to my name. I am myself; I’m just the son of my mum and my dad. Right now, wherever I go, people looks at me as “Hyoudou Issei” as an individual. Buchou has been spending her life while carrying the name of Gremory on her back. That will be the same from now on. “I want to be with someone who will love me as Rias without the fact that I’m a Gremory. That’s my small dream I have…… Unfortunately, Raiser only looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. And he loves me as Rias from the Gremory. That’s why I hate it. But still, the pride of being a Gremory is very important. My feelings may be complicated, but I want to cherish this small dream I have.”
So Buchou wants to be loved as “Rias” and not as “Rias Gremory” from the opposite sex…… That’s what you call a maiden's feelings huh. But there’s no doubt that Buchou is feeling complicated because of her house's problems. Hmm, I don’t understand both the feelings of a girl and the structure of the Devils' society, so I don’t know what to say to her……
“I like Buchou as Buchou.”
I just said what I thought. But Buchou stares at me in wonder. “I don’t know anything about Gremory or about the Devils' world, but to me Rias-buchou is Rias-buchou…… Nggh, I don’t understand all the complicated stuff but to me the usual Buchou is the best!”
I said everything I can think of with a smile. Hahaha, I can’t even say things that sound romantic. ……Hey, Buchou-sama? I don’t know why but Buchou has her cheeks red. “B-Buchou? D-Did I say something weird?”
I ask her with a dubious voice, but Buchou shakes her head where she says, “I-It’s nothing!” while panicking. What? Did something happen? Well, I’ll leave that aside. “But having an opponent like that for the genius Buchou’s first match, it certainly will be a hard obstacle, right?”
“I don’t actually like the word “genius”?”
Buchou answers me still with a red face. “Why is that?”
“A talent that is given by heaven……it feels like it’s a gift given by God so I don’t feel good. My talent is born from the roots of the House of Gremory that has been passed down to the generations. I inherited that trait as a Devil. I never thought that I received it as a gift from God, and that’s impossible. My power belongs to me and the House of Gremory. That’s why I won’t lose. I will win if I have to fight. I have to win.”
Buchou says it to me as if she was saying it to herself. Amazing. Buchou is really strong. Compared to that I…… I……
“Buchou, I’m worthless. I have been useless……since I got here.”
Buchou makes a dubious expression while looking at me said that in a weak voice. “Ise?”
“I think I’ve gotten stronger since I came here and trained with everyone, but more than that……I felt the difference between us. If I do sword training, I realised how amazing Kiba is and realised that “I won’t be able to become a swordsman like Kiba”…… When I do the training for using demonic-power, I realise how superior Akeno-san is while Asia is improving her demonic-powers…… And I can’t do anything…… I’m fine as long as I have my Boosted Gear! I acted tough by thinking like that……”
I have so many tears flowing out from my eyes without realising it. I’m frustrated, just frustrated. The more I train, the more I realise how weak I am. —I have no talent for battle. I have come to realise it. “I found out that I was the weakest…… I also found out that……I’m the most useless…… I realised it means nothing if I’m the one with the ultimate Sacred Gear. That’s why I was laughed at by Raiser back then, right? “Pearl before swine, certainly a fitting phrase for me.”
I start to shed lots of tears in front of Buchou. I’m having so much tears from my eyes due to this frustration that it makes me look pathetic. Even my nose is dripping. Buchou stands up and sits next to me. HUG. —! Buchou hugs me gently. She starts to pat my head many times. “You want confidence, right? Okay, I will give you confidence. But now, you have to rest your body and mind. I will be with you until you feel like sleeping.”
That time I didn’t know what she meant. Except, Buchou’s warmth is healing my soul. That is enough for now. “Use your Boosted Gear, Ise.”
Next day. Buchou says that to me before the start of the training. She is allowing me to use my Sacred Gear that I was forbidden to use since I got into the mountains. She is allowing me to use it now……but what does she want me to do with my Sacred Gear? “It should be okay to have Yuuto as the opponent.”
“Yes.”
Kiba comes forward after Buchou urges him. He stands in front of me. Hey, is she telling me to fight Kiba!? “Ise, activate your Sacred Gear before the mock battle. Let’s see……we will start the battle two minutes after you activate your Sacred Gear.”
“Y-Yes.”
I make my Boosted Gear appear on my left arm just like Buchou orders me to. “Boost!”
[Boost!!] The Sacred Gear makes a sound at my words, and I can feel the power coming into my body. With this my power has doubled. Ten seconds later. [Boost!!] My power doubles again. The power I can feel from my Sacred Gear runs through my body. It’s all right that my power is getting doubled, but there are things that I need to keep in mind when I use my Boosted Gear. You may think there are no limits to my powers increasing, but the truth is that isn’t the case. Once I activated my Boosted Gear to see how far I can increase my power but after a few minutes I fainted. The reason is simple. My body can’t handle the power as it increases more. When I asked Buchou afterwards,
“For example think that you are a truck. What will happen if you carry more package than the truck can carry? It won’t move right? That’s how it is.”
That’s how she explained to me. The package equals my powers that are doubling. If the quantity of package keeps on doubling, then the truck will decrease in speed and by the end it won’t move. So in other words if the power gets too big, then it puts stress on my body. That’s why I fainted. My body which is a vessel won’t be able to withstand the increased power. That’s what happened when I activated it for a few minutes. The jewel in the gauntlet made a sound which said [Burst], then my body got heavier and it felt like all my senses froze. Even if there are no limits to the Sacred Gear, the user which is me in this case does have limits. That’s my Sacred Gear’s weakness. Well, it’s more like my weakness. It’s not the Sacred Gear’s fault. I got my twelfth power up after Buchou ordered me to power up. Then Buchou orders me to “Stop” my Sacred Gear’s power up. “Let’s do this, Boosted Gear!”
[Explosion!!] This sound also represents the stop of the power up and acts as a stopper. | text_2 |
Once the power up stops, I can fight with that increased power for a certain time. The length of time I can use it depends on my action during the power up. The more I move, and the more I attack, it minimises the time. This also affects my stamina, and if I’m in a tired state, then the time will also be shorter. One of the ways to use this Sacred Gear is that I don’t receive any damage. Yeah, that’s why my current state where I have no damage and have full stamina is the best time to use the ability of my Boosted Gear. My power is increasing while during the boost, but it is unstable compared to the time when I stop the boost to use the power up for a limited time. If I move around too much, there are risks that it may change me back to my normal self. For that reason, it’s better to stop the boost then use the power up. It will be wise to run around and hide while getting a boost. Now, my power is in an unthinkable state because of the two minutes boost. The power I feel within my body isn’t normal. “Ise, I want you to fight Yuuto in that state. Yuuto, I will ask you to be his opponent.”
“Yes, Buchou.”
Kiba makes his stance by pointing his bokuto toward me after Buchou ordered him. “Ise, do you want to use a sword? Or do you want to fight with bare hands?”
Buchou asks me how I will be fighting. Hmm, even if I have a bokuto, I won’t be able to use it……
“I will fight bare handed!”
“Very well. Now then, I’ll ask the both of you to start.”
I also make a stance against Kiba. Well, it’s a newbie’s stance. SWISH. Kiba suddenly disappears from my sight! Oh crap! The trait of [Knight] is speed! Kiba has god-speed! Once I lose sight of him, I will receive the attack—. BANG! Kiba’s swing came down at me, but I guard it by using my arm. Yes! I can withstand this! “!”
Kiba makes a shocked expression. He let his guard down! I punch towards Kiba who stopped moving. SWIFT! Kiba’s body disappears just before I hit him, and my punches cut through the air. Crap! He dodged it! Where’s Kiba? I try to chase him by looking around. ……He’s gone! If he isn’t in front of me or to my left or right, then he’s behind me! However, I don’t see Kiba when I turned around. ! Above me!? When I look up, Kiba is coming down with his bokuto aimed downwards. BANG! I heard a nasty sound! Guhaaa! I receive a blow on my head. It huuuuurts! “Ouch……”
I don’t have time to touch the part I was hit and I release a kick towards Kiba who just landed on the ground. SWISH! He dodged it again! Shit! It won’t hit at all! If my opponent is a [Knight], then will I have a hard time with their speed!? “Ise! Shoot with block of demonic-power! When you form a block of demonic-power, shoot it with a shape you imagine the most!”
Buchou gives me an order. A block of demonic-power? I have to do it here? I don’t know if it will hit but there’s no other choice! I will obey Buchou’s order. I gathered the demonic-power flowing within my body and concentrated it into my palm. There is a block of demonic-power that is the size of a rice ball. Small like usual! I then shoot it towards Kiba! That instant, I wasn’t able to believe what I saw. GUOOOOOOOOOO! It’s huge! The magic ball that had the size of a rice ball got bigger when I shot it! It reached the size of a huge rock! This!? I get it! It’s the power of the Boosted Gear! The huge block of magic got closer to Kiba. The velocity was quite fast as well. SWISH. Kiba dodges it easily. Well that’s not surprising. Oh, but it won’t mean anything if it doesn’t hit. That’s what I thought, but soon I got rid of that thought. The demonic-power ball that missed its target went towards the mountain next to the one we are on, and—. BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!! The mountain blows up while making a huge sound and blast!! Eh! Eh? Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!? ……A single shot of demonic-power I shot out blew away a single mountain……The mountain has a huge hole in it. It changes the view of it. ……Eh? Are you for real? It actually blew it up? It’s a mountain, you know? A mountain. Because of the sudden turn of events, I didn’t know what to say. [Reset]
The gauntlet made a sound and I can also feel the power leaving my body at the same time. Looks like the time I’m powered up for is finished. Then I lost all of my strength at once. It feels like my insides became empty. Seems like I used up my demonic-power. “I’ll have both of you stop it there.”
Buchou ends me and Kiba’s spar. Kiba also put his bokuto down. I also sit on the ground as if I lost my strength. T-The mountain disappeared. My heart is beating with that fact. D-Did I do that? I still can’t believe it. A-An attack like that actually came out from my hand……
“Good job you two. Now I will hear your impression. Yuuto, how was it?”
Kiba answers Buchou’s question. “Yes. To tell the truth I’m astonished. I tried to finish the spar with the first strike.”
Eh? The first strike as in the one I was able to block? “But I couldn’t break through Ise-kun’s guard. I was focused into breaking through it. I also tried to knock him down in my second strike by hitting his head from above the air, but that failed as well.”
Kiba answers it while laughing out “Hahaha” with a refreshing expression. Kiba put his bokuto to the front to show it to everyone. ……That bokuto is already broken. “I strengthened the bokuto with demonic-power, but it couldn’t give that much damage to Ise-kun because his body was too hard. If we continued, I would only have the option to run around because I wouldn’t have my weapon.”
“Thank you, Yuuto. That’s how it is, Ise.”
That’s how it is? Is this the thing she told me yesterday when she said, “I’ll give you confidence”? “Ise. You said to me that you were “the weakest and have no talent”, right?”
“Y-Yes.”
“That’s half correct. You, who hasn’t activated your Sacred Gear, is weak. However, you become a totally different person if you use the power of the Boosted Gear.”
Buchou points at the mountain that was blown away. “That attack is one of a High-class Devil. If that hits, most people will be blown away.”
Are you serious!? Well it certainly does seem like an attack that could blow most beings. “Your body which went through basic training became a vessel that can handle a Sacred Gear that increases the power drastically. Even now, your body is strong enough to handle the power increase. I told you before, right? You can become the strongest as long as you improve your basics. The higher your initial strength is, the more the power can increase. The basic stamina rises from “1” to “2”. Even something like that would become a big factor for you to become strong.”
—! My power is amazing……? I still can’t believe in myself and Buchou says it with confidence to me. “You are the key to the game. Ise’s attack becomes the factor that decides the outcome of the battle. If it was only you fighting, then it would be scary because you would have your guard down while powering up. However, this battle is a team battle. You will have your comrades that will support you. | text_2 |
Trust in us. Then, you will become strong as well as us. We can win this!”
—Become stronger. Me? “Let’s show it to those that looked down on you. It doesn’t matter if the opponent is Phoenix or not. We need to teach them very strictly in how strong Rias Gremory and her servants are!”
[Yes!] Everyone replies to her with a strong voice. That’s right! I have Buchou and everyone with me! I will become strong! I will become stronger along with everyone! I will defeat Raiser Phoenix! After having new-found determination, the mountain training went through smoothly. Then we reached the day for the decisive battle. On the day of the decisive battle. “I’m ready.”
I’m getting fired up in my room. Right now, it’s 10 o’clock at night. The decisive battle will start in two hours, exactly from 12am. Today our job as a Devil is off. We went home straight after school. That’s because we may end up wasting our stamina. We plan to meet up at the club room 30 minutes prior to the match, so I can only stay here for about 90 minutes. But still, I feel the most relaxed here in my own room. So I want to stay here as long as I can. If I go there, I will feel nervous whether I like it or not. Ah, I feel more nervous than the time I was waiting for my entrance exam results to our academy……
I’m wearing my uniform. I thought this will be the most fitting clothing for this. Rather, should I prepare clothing for battle purpose? When I asked that to Buchou,
“If my group has a uniform, then it has to be the uniform of Kuou academy. We are the members of the Occult Research Club after all.”
Buchou replied like that to me with a smile. That’s why my battle uniform will be my school uniform. Well, if I was doing martial arts I could have prepared a dougi. There are lots of banana peels near me. I ate all of them already, and that technique that I have been practicing ever since camp is almost completed. I can do this. I can do this! My new ultimate technique! KNOCK KNOCK
Someone knocks on the door. Huh? Is it Asia? “Ise-san, may I come in?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I get a bit shocked when I witness the clothing that Asia is wearing. That’s because she is wearing a nun outfit. Obviously she doesn’t have her Rosario hanging around her neck. She also doesn’t have her veil on her head. “Asia that outfit……”
“Y-Yes. When I asked Buchou-san, she told me, “Wear something that you feel the most comfortable in”. I thought about it a lot, and I found out that this outfit is the easiest for me to move around in. ……I’m not a Christian anymore, but I haven’t forgotten my beliefs. Even though I’m a Devil now……”
Is that so? This girl must have thought deeply about it. I’m sure that you need a lot of guts to appear in a nun’s outfit for a battle between Devils, but if that’s what Asia chose then I don’t have any complaints. Buchou will also allow it with a smile. “Yeah. You look the most natural in a nun’s outfit. You also look good in our school uniform, but you were dressed in that outfit when I first met you. Yeah, you look great.”
“Thank you very much.”
Asia makes a very happy face when I praise her. “U-Umm, Ise-san?”
Asia suddenly becomes hesitant. What’s up with her? “Can I sit beside you?”
“Y-Yeah. Sure.”
Asia approaches me who am sitting on my bed and then she sits beside me. She then hugs onto my arm tightly. “W-What’s wrong?”
I panic, but I can feel her shaking through my arm. “……I can’t stop shaking when I think that there is a scary battle waiting for us. But if Ise-san is with me, I will be okay.”
“Asia……”
“Ehehe. I’m not scared if I’m with Ise-san after all. ……Can I stay like this until we leave?”
“Sure.”
“……Can I stay with you forever from now on?”
“Yeah, we will always be together.”
I hold on to Asia’s hand gently and we stay like this till we left the house. After that, I didn’t feel nervous anymore and Asia’s shaking has also stopped. Around 11.40pm at night—. The other club members and I have gathered in the old school building. We are waiting in our most relaxing positions. Everyone except Asia is wearing their uniform. Kiba is equipped with a gauntlet on his hands and has some armour on his lower leg. He has his swords against the wall. Koneko-chan is sitting on the chair and is reading a book. On her hands, she is wearing gloves that allow her fingers to be seen. It’s one of those gloves that martial artists wear. It looks pretty intense if a girl with a loli face wears it. Akeno-san and Buchou are drinking green tea elegantly. Just to be expected from our Onee-samas, they sure are calm……
Asia and I sit on the chair quietly while we wait for the time to come. Ten minutes prior to the match, the magic-circle glows and Grayfia-san appears from it. “Is everyone ready? It’s ten minutes before the match.”
Everyone stands up after Grayfia-san confirms us. Grayfia-san then starts to explain about the battle. “When it becomes the time to start the battle, you will be teleported to the battlefield through this magic-circle. The location of the place is in a different dimension used for battles. You may fight with all your power. It’s a disposable space so feel free to fight to your satisfaction.”
I see. A battle purpose field, huh. So Devils can prepare something like that as well. Indeed if we fight somewhere in the humans' world or Devils' world, we can’t avoid destruction. So it means that we need a place where we won’t harm anything no matter what we do. But leaving that aside, there’s something that I’m concerned about. “Hey, Buchou?”
“What is it?”
“Buchou, you also have another [Bishop], right? Where is that person?”
Yes, that’s what Buchou told me before she reincarnated Asia. She told me she already has another [Bishop]—. She told me that the [Bishop] is doing another mission, but why isn’t the [Bishop] here under this serious situation? After I asked the question, everyone except me and Asia acts weird. It seems like I asked something I shouldn’t have. It feels like the atmosphere in this room has changed. All of them are keeping their mouth closed. “Unfortunately, the other [Bishop] can’t participate. Though there will be a time when I will talk about that in the near future.”
Buchou says that to me without looking at me in the eyes. Seems like there’s something complicated about this matter. I probably should stop asking about this topic now. But what’s so important that the [Bishop] can’t appear for its Master’s important match? I can’t get rid of my suspicions. Grayfia-san then speaks under this weird atmosphere. “This “Rating Game” battle will also be viewed by members of both households from a different location through broadcast.”
Are you serious? So they will be watching us? So they are going to view us like VIP members, huh. They sure must be having fun. Since Buchou’s parents are watching this as well, I can’t show them an unsightly scene. “Maou Lucifer-sama will also be viewing this battle. Please do not forget about it.”
Maou!? Maou-sama!? Wow, that makes me nervous. | text_2 |
Even the one standing above us is paying attention to this match!? Buchou then makes a shocked face. “Onii-sama is? ……I see, so Onii-sama is also going to view this battle.”
……Huh? I think I heard it wrong. What did Buchou just say? O-Onii-sama……? I got confused so I put my hand up and ask. “U-Umm, Buchou, you just called Maou-sama “Onii-sama”……? Did I hear wrong?”
But Kiba answers me straight away. “No, Buchou’s brother is indeed the Maou-sama.”
What……
“M-Maoooooou!!? Buchou’s Onii-sama is Maou-sama! ?”
“Yes.”
Buchou confirms it straight away. Are you serious!? Seriously!? No, wait. But Buchou is part of the “Gremory clan”, isn’t she? I think her last name is different from any of the Maou’s last name……
Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus. It doesn’t match with any of their last names. “Are you confused because Buchou’s family name is different to the names of Maou-samas'?”
Kiba guesses what I’m thinking. It’s a bummer but he has it correct. “Yeah, that’s it.”
Kiba starts to explain after I admit it reluctantly. “In the previous Great War, the Maou-samas was in a critical condition and has passed away a long time ago. But there would be no Devils if there aren’t any Maou-samas. That’s why—”
The Devils decided to keep the names of the Maous and let it be inherited to the ones with enormous powers. So the current Four Great Maous are the Ultimate-class Devils that are the successors of the first generation Maous that has inherited their names. So that’s how it is. Then “Lucifer” and “Beelzebub” isn’t a personal name but more like a managerial position. “To tell you the truth, out of the three factions of the God, the Fallen Angels and the Devils, the Devils have the least power. We are actually in a tight spot but we are still safe because the current Maou-samas has a power equal to the previous Maou-samas.”
……So the Devils' society is just somehow managing, huh……
I’m pretty shocked to hear that the Maou-samas that have their names recorded in the books you find in the libraries are already dead. “So Buchou’s brother was chosen to be a Maou from the Ultimate-class Devils then?”
Kiba nods at my question. “Sirzechs Lucifer—who is also known as the “Crimson Satan”. He is Buchou’s brother and the most powerful Maou-sama.”
—Sirzechs Lucifer. Not a “Gremory” but a “Lucifer” huh. So he isn’t referred by his family name any more like Buchou is. “……So that’s why Buchou needs to inherit her household.”
It can’t be helped since her brother became a Maou. Her brother has to carry the world of the Devils on his back. Amazing. Even Buchou’s family is amazing……
“It’s about time. Everyone, please head to the magic-circle.”
We gather to the magic-circle after Grayfia-san urges us to. “Also, once you get transported, you cannot use the magic-circle until the game ends.”
So we can only return here after the outcome. The magic-circle’s symbol changes to another one which is not that of the Gremory’s and it starts to emit lights. It’s also not the symbol of the House of Phoenix. Perhaps it’s the one used for the game? While I was thinking about it, the light covers us and the teleportation begins. ……When I open my eyes. ……Huh? I tilt my head when I witness the view. Obviously. Because this place is the clubroom. What the, did the teleportation fail? But everyone besides me and Asia are calm and they aren't even shocked about this situation we are in. Also Grayfia-san is gone. Don’t tell me she teleported just by herself? Then—. [Hello everyone. I am Grayfia, a maid from the House of Gremory and today I will be the arbiter of the Rating match between the House of Gremory and the House of Phoenix.] School broadcast? It’s Grayfia-san’s voice. [In the name of my Master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be keeping my eye on this match. By using both Rias-sama and Raiser-sama’s opinion, we created this battlefield which is a replica of the school, Kuou academy, which Rias-sama attends to in the human world.] What! T-Then this clubroom is a replica? It’s exactly the same! The location of the furniture and even the scratches on the wall is the exact same so it really has a high reproduction of the real thing! Oh, hold on. If I look out of the window, the sky is white. It’s supposed to be very dark since it’s midnight. So did they make a replica of the school in this world of white? Just how extraordinary can the power of Devils be!? [The location where both teams were transported will be their “base”. Rias-sama’s “base” would be the Occult Research Cub’s clubroom located in the old school building. Raiser-sama’s “base” would be the Student Council’s room located in the new building. For the [Pawns] to use “promotion”, please head to the enemy’s base to do it.] That’s me! So I can’t promote unless I go to the enemy’s base. Due to the trait of my role, using “promotion” is absolutely necessary. Similar to the actual chess, “promotion” is a special move you are able to do if the [Pawn] reaches the furthest part of the enemy’s base. I can change into any pieces besides the [King] piece. So I have to reach the enemy’s base no matter what. Student Council room, huh. It’s at the corner of the highest floor in the school building. I have to head there! Likewise, Raiser’s [Pawns] can promote if they get here. Unlike us, where I am the only [Pawn], they have 8 [Pawns]. If they all turn into [Queen], we are in deep shit! [Queen] is the ultimate piece. It’s certain that we will be in danger if they are to promote. It’s normal for [Pawns] to be sent first so they can take down each other. Does that means I have to take down 8 beautiful girls of [Pawns] all by myself……? Wow, I have rough roads ahead of me. “Everyone, will you all please put this transceiver in your ears.”
Akeno-san gives everyone an earphone type transceiver. Buchou says it while putting it in her ears,
“At the battlefield, we will be using this to communicate with each other.”
So we will receive the orders through this transceiver huh. This is an important item. I need to make sure I don’t break it. [Now it’s the time for the commencement of the battle. Also, this match will continue till dawn in the humans time. So, Game starts now.] RING RING
The school bell rings. So this is the ring to signify the start of the match huh. Like this, our first “Rating Game” begins! “First we have to take down Raiser’s [Pawns]. It will be troublesome if they all promote into [Queen].”
Buchou says it while sitting on the sofa. She’s quite confident. Akeno-san starts to prepare tea. U-Umm, we are in a middle of a match, you know……? “B-Buchou, you seem pretty calm……”
“Ise, the battle just started. The “Rating Game” is originally a game that doesn’t finish in a short time. There are times when it becomes a “blitz”, but mostly it’s a game that takes very long. Just like the actual chess game.”
I-Is that how it’s played? I thought it will be like those battles you often see in films…… Something like those “ultimate fight between monsters” types of things. | text_2 |
“The “Rating Game” has a meaning only if you use the battlefield to the fullest. Usually the base would be a fortress, a castle or even a tower. There are forests and rivers between the two bases and we battle using those areas. This time the school is our stage. Yuuto.”
“Yes.”
Kiba spreads a map on the table after Buchou urges him. Wow, the whole map of our school. It’s divided into grids and there are English alphabets and numbers on it. Oh I get it. It’s broken into grid that is similar to a chessboard. Buchou draws a circle around the old school building and the new school building with a red pen. Oh, I see. She marked our base and the enemy’s base. “There’s a forest near our base. It’s safe to assume that this is also our territory. In other words the new school building would be Raiser’s territory. It’s quite possible that there will be an ambush when you enter their territory. The school field is visible from the new school building. So it’s dangerous to pass through here.”
She is right. The school field is visible from the new school building’s windows. Once we enter the battlefield, it’s impossible to teleport using the magic-circle. So it’s impossible to teleport from the old school building to the new school building. So we have to use our feet to move around then. Well, we can use our wings to fly, but we will become a sitting ducks. Also, I can’t fly yet. “Then do we have to go through the sports ground to get to the new school building?”
Buchou chuckles at my question. “Normally, yes. But the enemy will also know that. So he’ll have his servant positioned at the sports ground. …… He’ll have his [Knight] or [Rook] positioned at one of the clubrooms located in the sports ground. No, if it’s a sports ground, you will need a person with “mobility”. So he’ll have one [Knight] and three [Pawns], a total of four servants positioned here. Then he’ll have control of the whole sports ground.”
Then Kiba says his thoughts. “Buchou, it’s about the gym near the old school building. Shouldn’t we occupy this location first? If we capture it here then we will have a route to the new school building. The gym is a passage to both of the buildings so we could also restrain the enemy’s movements.”
Buchou nods at Kiba’s opinion. “Yes, I also have the same opinion. First we will capture the gym. ……In terms of location, the opponent may have his [Rook] positioned there. Since it’s inside a building, it would be better to use the [Rook] with destructive power over [Knight] with mobility.”
……Wow, they started to talk about the strategy in a way that I don’t understand! W-Well, I’ll just follow the order! I just need to make sure that I don’t cause any trouble for them. “……Yuuto and Koneko, you two set a trap in the forest. Take another map with you and make sure you mark the places where you set the trap in. I will make a copy afterwards and hand it to everyone.”
“Yes.”
“……Roger.”
Koneko-chan and Kiba leaves the room straight away and takes a map and a weird looking tool box with them. “Everyone else will be on standby until they finish setting up the trap. Oh, Akeno.”
“Yes.”
“After Yuuto and Koneko returns, can you cast illusions and mists around the forest and the sky? Obviously a trap that only reacts to Raiser’s group. That’s how the start of the match will be like, though it seems like this battle will become intense midway through it. So I’ll leave the issue regarding the mists and the illusions to you, Akeno.”
“I understand, Buchou.”
Akeno-san confirms. The strategy has already begun. Both Asia and I don’t know what we are supposed to do. “U-Umm, Buchou? What am I supposed to do?”
I think it’s bad if I don’t do anything. I want to do something! “Yes. Ise, you are a [Pawn] so you have to use “promotion”.”
“Yes!”
I reply to her energetically. Buchou waves her hand towards me. Hmm? What is it? “Sit here.”
I sit next to Buchou because she told me to. She then points at her lap. “Lay down here.”
—! W-Wait, is that……the legendary “lap pillow”!? I-I can really……use that white legs of yours……am I really allowed to do it!? “I-I will be in your care!”
I unconsciously bow my head to Buchou politely. Gulp…… I start to put my head on Buchou’s lap slowly while gulping down my saliva. TOUCH. I can feel a really soft sensation on my cheek. Ooooooooh! Why are you so soft, Buchou!? My head is about to explode because I'm having lots of physical contacts with Buchou!! Her actions towards me are too great for someone like me who am going through that age! I want to grind my cheek on her lap, but I think my heart will stop! “Uuuu.”
I have tears on my eyes without even noticing it. Lap pillow. Out of all the things I want to get done by a girl, it’s definitely among the “Top 10”. And right now it became a reality……
I can’t stop the tears that are falling from my. Man, what am I doing in the middle of an important match? But a perverted student like me who has no luck with girls is getting this sweet treatment. Oh, mum and dad, thanks for giving birth to me! Buchou sighs while looking at me. “Geez. Why are you crying?”
“Sob, getting a “lap pillow” from Buchou, I’m so moved that the tears won’t stop. I will never forget this sensation. Sob, I’m happy that I was born.”
“If it’s just “lap pillow”, then I will give it to you again. You seriously are an overreacting boy.”
What!? T-This is absurd!? You will!? Why is Buchou so nice to me!? No, that’s not important now! So something like that is possible!? Yes, I’ll ask her myself next time! Aah, my school life is so wonderful! I’m totally in a league over Motohama and Matsuda! Now I feel sorry for them. I just need to hope that their life will get better. Ah! Asia is looking at me with teary eyes! And she is making a weird face. Huh? Is she angry? Why? She looks very unpleasant……
TOUCH. Buchou then puts her hand on my forehead. “……I unlocked a small portion of the seal that I had cast on you.”
“Huh? Seal?”
The moment I say out the doubt I had, there is a big change in my body. Heartbeat! At the same time, I can feel a power growing within me. What is this? Amazing, it feels different than the power up that I get from my Boosted Gear. If that is a power I receive from elsewhere, then this power up is coming from within me and it feels comfortable. What is this—? Buchou then says it my ear while I find it suspicious. “Do you remember? The talk about where I used all my eight pieces of [Pawns] to reincarnate you?”
“Yes.”
“At that time, your strength as a Devil was low so I had to put a limit on your power as a [Pawn]. You, who just reincarnated from human, didn’t have a body that could endure the power of eight pieces of [Pawns]. To put it simply, you would be the strongest after Akeno, so you needed to attain more power or else your body would break. So I just unsealed a bit of the seal.”
Unsealing it—. Then this power that is flowing within my body is my natural power. | text_2 |
“That training was meant to have you cope with the power of Boosted Gear and the [Pawn]. Though there are areas you still lack in.”
So there was actually a meaning to that harsh training! I’m glad that I went through that training by training hard! PAT PAT. Buchou then starts to pat my head. Aah, it feels so nice to have Onee-sama pat my head. Is it me or is Asia looking at me with sharp eyes? “Listen up, Ise. You have to beat your opponent even if they are girls, okay? You can’t hold back. They won’t hold back against you.”
“Y-Yes, I understand!”
“That’s a good boy. Use the “promotion” to change into [Queen]. The battle will change if you promote into the [Queen] that possess the strongest power.”
“But it feels weird for me, who am a guy, to turn into a [Queen].”
Buchou makes a small laugh at my opinion. “It’s just a name for a role in chess, so you don’t have to think too deeply about it. We are already at a disadvantage by having fewer members than Raiser. So you have to prepare yourself to work over the limit. If we lose even a single person, our situation will get even harder.”
Buchou already thought about our roles carefully and has already made a plan for our move...... The battle can be settled if I charge up my demonic-power with my Sacred Gear and shoot it to the new school building......though it won’t be that simple, right? The opponent may also foresee such method, and they may have a counter-measure against it. Also there is a limit to my attack which has powered up, and since I’m bad at using demonic-powers, I can’t do something like wasting it. If I have to do it, it will be safer to promote to [Queen] first, that way you can guarantee the power of the attack. Yeah, I will just go forward while believing in Buchou and my comrades! “Buchou! I will definitely make you win!”
That’s what I thought from the bottom of my heart. My true feeling. Yes, it’s better to tell her my actual feelings. Buchou smiles after hearing that. “Yes, I will be relying on you. My adorable, Ise.”
I will definitely make Buchou win! I won’t give Buchou to a jerk like that! Like that, I was having fun with Buchou’s lap until Kiba and Koneko-chan got back. Thanks to that, I’m fully pumped! “Alright!”
I raise my spirit in front of the old school building. Next to me is Koneko-chan. She will be my partner for the next plan. “Okay then, Ise, Koneko. You won’t be able to avoid the battle once you get into the gym. Move accordingly like we discussed. That location will be an important place.”
Buchou sent us off at the entrance. Koneko-chan nods at Buchou. “Yes, I will.”
Our target is the gym. We need to win the battle that will be awaits us. The ones that will be heading there is me and Koneko-chan. We are not allowed to fail. Yeah, we can't lose. I can’t retire without even using “promotion”! “Then I will be going as well.”
Kiba is getting ready to go by placing his sword to his hip. “Yuuto, move accordingly like we discussed.”
“Roger that.”
“Asia will be on standby with me. But we will be going after we get a signal from Ise and the others. You definitely cannot be taken down. It will be over if we lose our healer.”
“Y-Yes!”
Asia also replies energetically even though she is nervous. Asia’s ability to heal is our lifeline. Because of that ability of hers, we are capable of doing things that is a bit recklessly for our strategy. Our winning factor is to protect Buchou who is our [King] and also Asia. “Akeno, I trust you to move when you think it's the right time.”
“Yes, Buchou.”
The strongest servant, Akeno-san. According to Buchou, the outcome will be decided with her move. I will be relying on your ultimate move that is hidden behind that smiling face of yours! Buchou steps forward after she checks everyone. “Now then, my adorable servants. Are you ready? We can’t turn back now. Our enemy is Raiser, who is said to be a genius from the immortal House of the Phoenix with a promised career. Now then! Let’s go and blow them away!”
[Yes!] All of us replies together and heads off! Me, Koneko-chan, and Kiba leaves the old school building! “Ise-san! Everyone! Please do your best!”
I can hear Asia cheering for us from behind. We raise our hand and wave at her. Now, there’s no more turning back Hyoudou Issei! I will have to be resolved and move straight ahead! We run towards the gym. During our way towards the gym, Kiba leaves us to head to a different direction. It’s in our plan for Kiba to leave us at a certain point. “Then I will be waiting for you ahead!”
“Yeah, you just do that!”
We split up after saying our good byes. He will do his job, and I will do mine! I went towards the gym along with Koneko-chan. Since the main entrance is connected to the new school building, we can’t enter from there. That’s because our intrusion will be caught by them. We need to go in from the other door located on the opposite side of the gym. We went there and turn the door knob. It’s opened. It’s not locked. But this gym, even the appearance of it looks like the actual thing. It’s the same with the old school building where it looks like the real thing. I will believe it if they tell me afterwards that “the stage took place at the real Kuou academy”. We come into the back platform from the back door. Since the curtain isn’t down, the inside is visible. I try to look at the court from the corner of the platform, but then Koneko-chan mutters. “……Presence. Enemy.”
—! Even before I can get shocked at hearing that, a loud voice echoes within the gymnasium. “We know you are there, servants of Gremory! We watched you coming inside.”
The voice of a woman. Raiser’s servants! So they saw us coming inside! Then there is no need for us to hide ourselves. Koneko-chan and I show ourselves to them by appearing at the platform boldly. There are four female Devils standing at the court. The woman with a china dress, the twins and also—
There is the loli girl who knocked me down with a stick. I never thought I will meet her this quickly……
If I remember right, the woman with the china dress is the [Rook]. The twins are the [Pawns]. And the small girl is also a [Pawn]. I know it because we were explained about the enemies while having the photo of them shown to us at the clubroom before we came here. Three [Pawns] and one [Rook]…… We are also a [Pawn] and a [Rook], though their numbers are double of ours. Though due to our plan, we can’t avoid this battle. “Boosted Gear, standby.”
[Boost!!] The Boost begins. Yeah! I’m going to do it! “……I will leave the [Pawns] to you, Ise-senpai. I will take care of the [Rook].”
“Yeah!”
Both Koneko-chan and I stand in front of our opponent. The china dress woman makes a kung fu stance and the small girl makes a stance with her stick. Lastly, the twin girls grabs their chainsaws with a smile –hey, a chainsaw!? DRILL! DRRRRRRRRRILL! The chainsaws starts while making a dangerous sound. Wow! Are you serious!? Girls aren’t allowed to carry dangerous things like that! | text_2 |
“Disassembling time♪”
Both of the twins say that happily! Hey! You can’t say things like that with a bright voice! More like, I don’t want to be disassembled! It will be bad if I get hit by those chainsaws! BANG! BANG! Koneko-chan and the china dress woman have already begun their fight a bit further away from us. It looks like a martial arts match because of all the punches they are throwing at each other! Each hit looks powerful since both of them are [Rooks]. I think Koneko-chan is at an advantage because of her small build, which allows her to move more freely. But the china dress woman is also moving swiftly while doing tricky attacks. SWISH! The [Pawn] girl spins the stick professionally while making a sound. If my memory is right, I think her name is Mira. Then I get a nasty flashback. I acted all mighty and ended up getting hit by that stick without doing anything. ……I don’t want to lose ever again! “Split, split, split, split, split!”
The twins come right at me while grinding their chainsaws to the floor! The chainsaws are making sparkles and they swing them at me! DRRRRRRRRILL! I can hear a nasty sound near my ear. Wow! That’s dangerous! I was just able to dodge it! I tackle one of the twins with my shoulder and put some distance between us. If it’s a simple move like this, then the Boosted Gear won’t reset. If I get too carried away and attack them, the power will return to the original state! SWISH! A sound of something being pointed at me from behind. “Wow!”
I also dodge this attack by a margin as well. The stick passes through my armpit sharply! It’s an attack from the girl called Mira! I dodged it this time! My body can move more than I thought! It was because of the training and also because Buchou unsealed some of the power of the [Pawn] pieces inside me! I can do this! I can actually do this! I have confidence in my own power. When I showed some confidence, the chainsaw grazes my cheek! From the pain I felt, it’s certainly bleeding. When I look carefully, my uniform is cut in different places. Ugh, looks like I’m in a pretty dangerous situation. [Boost!!] The second power up! The girls still doesn’t hesitate to attack me during the boost! But—. Yo! Haa! I dodge the attacks that are coming from above me by moving my body to the side, and I dodge the attacks coming from the side by jumping and ducking down! I guard the attacks of the stick that is coming from the front by crossing my arms! Yeah! I overcame all of their attacks! How’s that, dammit!? “Ah, geez! This is so frustrating~!”
“Why isn’t it hitting him! ?”
The chainsaw twins seem pissed so they start to step on the floor violently. “……I can’t break through his guard.”
Looks like the stick girl is also irritated that her attacks aren’t hitting me effectively. Too bad. I also trained like hell as well. I won’t be able to face Buchou and the others if I lose instantly! [Boost!!] Here it is! My third boost! It’s here! “Let’s do it, my Sacred Gear-kun!”
[Explosion!!] I will fight them in this state! My whole body is getting overflowed with power! A powered-up state for a temporarily time! I won’t waste it even for a bit! “I will take care of you two first!”
I run towards one of the twins. Fast! It may be weird coming from me but that’s a good dash! The opponents can’t react to my movements for a slight moment. She swings her chainsaw after she realises the situation she is in, but my fist has already reached her! BANG! One of the twin [Pawns] went flying with my hit. “You! How dare you hit my Onee-chan!”
The little sister of the girl I just hit aims her chainsaw towards me, but I twist my body and hit the girl! The younger sister of the chainsaw twin falls down to the floor. “Haa!”
The stick girl with a childish face thrust her stick towards me! I will make sure it works this time! “Daa!”
BREAK! I cut down her stick with my karate chop. Ouch! The stick is harder than I thought! I hit away the girl who just lost her weapon without a moment to spare! “Kyaaah!”
The young girl rolls on the floor while making a scream. “Ku!”
The sound of the china dress woman. When I look, the china dress woman has her hands on the floor and Koneko-chan is still maintaining her fighting stance. Wow. I can tell that Koneko-chan is at an advantage by the looks of it. “Geez! If we lose to a guy like him, Raiser-sama will get mad at us!”
One of the chainsaw girls fixes her position and makes a negative comment. “We will definitely dissemble you into pieces!”
The twin turns on their chainsaws once again. Fufufu, you won’t be able to act in such way any longer. I already accomplished the necessary conditions for activating my ultimate technique. “Take this! My new ultimate technique! Dress Break!”
Click! At the same time I click my fingers, the chainsaw twins and the stick girl's clothes gets blown away. Yes, even their underclothes are blown to pieces! The white curvy bodies of the girls are exposed right in front of me. Wow, all three of them still need some growth, but this is also wonderful in its own way! Bubah! Lots of blood bursts out of my nose while I make a laugh loudly. “N-Noooooooooooooooooo!”
Their scream echoes within the gym. All three of them ducks down to the floor and are trying to hide their private parts. “Ahahahahaha! How’s that!? This is my technique! And the name of it is “Dress Break”! I just kept on imaging the girl’s clothing getting blown away into pieces! I spent all of the talent I have in making a technique that will make all of the girls naked!”
Yes, you can say I spent all of my talent I have in using my demonic-power for this reason! I don’t have talent at using demonic-power in the first place. So I just turned what I’m good at imagining into reality by using up all of the talent I have. This was all for this scenery I am seeing! Hahaha! Look, I stripped down the girls naked! That’s why I peeled all of the fruits and vegetables with not my hands or a knife, but with my demonic-powers only! I peeled the vegetables and fruits till I would lose my mind. The activation requirement is that I have to touch my opponents. Then I send them my demonic-power that is filled with strong imagination. And this is the result. “You are the worst! You are the enemy of every woman!”
“Beast! You sex fiend!”
The chainsaw twins starts to bad mouth me while having tears in their eyes. I will gladly accept those words. “......I misjudged you.”
STAB. Koneko-chan’s muttering I heard from far away impales my heart….. Then I heard a sound from the transceiver I have on my ear. [Ise, Koneko. Can you hear me? It’s me.] Buchou’s voice. It seems like Koneko-chan also heard it. “Yes! Both Koneko-chan and I are safe! More like we are doing well right now!”
[That’s good to hear. But Akeno’s preparation is also completed! I want you two to move accordingly with the plan!] Buchou’s order! I nod after exchanging a glance with Koneko-chan. DASH! | text_2 |
Koneko-chan and I went to the central entrance while ignoring the girls who are down on the floor. “Are you running away!? This location is supposed to be a crucial place!”
Raiser’s servants become shocked by our actions. Yeah, you are right. This certainly is a crucial place. A location that connects the old school building with the new school building. In chess, it will be the “centre”. It’s apparently very important. That’s why both sides came here! To obtain this place! That’s why there is a meaning to this! To make this place as our decoy! Koneko-chan and I leaves from the central entrance. FLASH! An instant flash. Then—. DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! A huge lightning falls down onto the gym with a sound. When the lightning stops, the gym that is supposed to be in front of us gets wiped out. “Take.”
Akeno-san’s voice. When I turn around, I can see Akeno-san with a smiley face that is flying through the air with her black wings spread. She has her right hand raised upwards. And her hand is sparkling with electricity. [Raiser Phoenix-sama’s three [Pawns] and one [Rook] retires!] Grayfia-san’s voice who is the arbiter echoes through the battlefield. Wait, so with that attack just now, the enemies Koneko-chan and I were fighting got defeated!? Are you serious!? With that one attack!? Oh yeah, I heard this from Kiba before. “The “Priestess of Lightning”, that’s Akeno-san’s nickname. Since Buchou isn’t the age where she can play in the official matches, not many people know about Akeno-san, but she is famous among certain group of people.”
P-Priestess of Lightning…… That’s terrifying. I will definitely die if I get punished with that attack! ……Yup, I will make sure I don’t make Akeno-san angry. “We did it, Koneko-chan.”
I try to put my hand on her shoulder, but she avoids me. “……Please don’t touch me……”
She says that with a scorn voice and she’s glaring at me. Ugh, that reaction saddens me. Well, it can’t be helped for any girl to be alarmed at me if they saw a technique like that. “Hahaha, don’t worry. I won’t use it on my comrades.”
“……Even so, it is a very low technique.”
Oh my. Looks like she hates me for real now……
[Everyone, can you hear me? Akeno did a perfect attack and finished it. With this, the first phase of our plan is completed.] I can hear Buchou’s voice from the transceiver I have in my ears. She sounds really happy. Buchou’s plan. That is to destroy the gymnasium that was thought to be a crucial point. Also destroying it along with Raiser’s servants. Koneko-chan and I went through the back door of the gym to enter, but we did this act while knowing that the enemies were watching us. We needed to have them battle us by making the opponent come into the gym as well. We simply needed to flee after we fight them for a certain time. After that, Akeno-san destroyed the gym with her lightning from the sky. We were a bait to make the enemy come inside the cage. Then we, the bait, left the cage and destroyed it along with the prey. Buchou’s plan has succeeded! To throw aside the important location and use it to attack is something to be reckoned with! Defeating one [Rook] and three [Pawns] was a big plus! We still haven’t lost any of our members, so we started off with a good start! [That lightning takes time to charge it to use for the second time after she uses it. So using it continuously is impossible. Though the enemy still has a greater number than us. We will also head out as soon as Akeno’s demonic-power recovers, so I will leave the rest to each of you till then. So please move on to the next phase!] “Yes!”
So Buchou and Asia are heading out. Me and Koneko-chan’s next move is……to regroup with Kiba and defeat the enemy located at the sports court! It happens then. BANG!! A sudden explosive sound is made nearby. When I look at where the sound came from—. “……K-Koneko-chan!”
Koneko-chan is lying on the floor a bit away from me while smokes arise from her. I went to her quickly and hold her! Koneko-chan’s uniform is torn as if she was dragged into a bomb. There are parts of her uniform that are gone. Don’t tell me that explosive sound before is……
“Take.”
An unknown voice. When I look up, there is a shadow up in the air flying with its wings spread. It’s a woman dressed up as a mage and wearing her hood. It’s Raiser’s servant! So Raiser’s servant did this to Koneko-chan! I’m sure that is Raiser’s [Queen]! The sudden appearance of the strongest servant! “Fufufu. When you hunt a prey, the best time to take them down is when the prey accomplished something because that’s the time when the prey is the most vulnerable. It’s enough for us to “sacrifice” many of our pieces in order to take down one of you. Your group has a small number of members to begin with. That alone will be enough to give a huge damage to your group, right? Even if you defeat us, you cannot defeat Raiser-sama. It’s useless to resist.”
The magician woman laughs as if she finds it amusing. “……Ise-senpai…… Akeno-senpai……”
Koneko-chan speaks with a voice that is about to disappear. “……I’m sorry ……I wanted to be of more use to Buchou and everyone……”
“Y-You don’t have to apologise! We were doing our job! It’s not a problem! Just wait, once Asia arrives, she can heal you—“
Koneko-chan’s body gets enveloped with light. The body starts to fade and then it disappears from here. …………
[Rias Gremory-sama’s [Rook] retries.] A cruel announcement. Buchou explained it to me before. When we take a certain amount of damage and get into a condition where we can no longer fight, we retire and get teleported out of the battlefield by force. The destination is a place with medical equipment. That’s why it’s alright even if we're hurt badly. It’s not like we will die. So Raiser’s servants that Akeno-san defeated and Koneko-chan were teleported there. I know. I know that in my head. This is a match. But still I……I! I can feel the weight disappear from my arms. ……Damn it. Damn it! My body shakes with anger. “Come down heeeeeere! I’ll be your opponent!”
I ignored about the next plan and started provoking the enemy who defeated Koneko-chan. Even I know it’s a foolish act. But I still can’t forgive her. Koneko-chan was crying just before she disappeared. She was crying because of regrets! She was still able to fight! Shit! If I had realised it much earlier, I may have been able to save Koneko-chan! I was getting ahead of myself because the first plan succeeded! “Fufufu. What a noisy [Pawn] boy. Do you want to explode like that girl from before?”
The mage put her hands towards me! I’m going to get shot! “Ara ara. I will be your opponent. Raiser Phoenix-sama’s [Queen], Yubelluna-san. Or should I call you the “Bomb Queen”?”
Akeno-san comes between us as if she is trying to protect me. “I don’t like that name because of its bad taste, “Priestess of Lightning”. Though I was hoping I can fight you.”
“Ise-kun, meet up with Yuuto-kun. | text_2 |
I will take care of here.”
“B-But!”
I try to convince her but Akeno-san shows a serious face to me for the first time. My heart races. I can feel the extreme pressure from her. “Ise-kun. You have your own role, correct? Go then. This matter here is my job.”
That’s right. I might just be a burden to Akeno-san. I need to focus on what I need to accomplish. Akeno-san smiles at me who am biting down my teeth hard. “It’s okay. I will avenge Koneko-chan. I will defeat this [Queen] with everything I have!”
—! A golden aura covers Akeno-san’s body! I can tell how powerful she is just by looking at it. Akeno-san’s demonic-power that is. The strongest person in our group, our [Queen]! “Akeno-san! I will leave this place to you!”
After I say that, I turn around and head towards the sports court where Kiba is waiting for me. Right after that, a violent roar of lightning and explosions echoes from behind me. The battle changes from the opening to the mid-game—. It happens during my way to the sports court where Kiba is waiting for me. [Raiser Phoenix-sama’s three [Pawns] retires.] It’s the announcement! Three of Raiser’s [Pawns] were defeated!? Who did it? I’m still on my way to the destination, Akeno-san is battling the [Queen], and Buchou and Asia are on their way here……so it must be Kiba! With this, seven of their pieces have been defeated. With this, they have nine members left including Raiser. We only have five members left with Koneko-chan gone. It’s a situation where we still can’t let our guard down! —! Someone grabs my arm while I’m on my way to the court! An enemy!? I make my stance, but the one who is holding my arm is Kiba. He’s putting on a refreshing smile like always. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Yup.”
Kiba is observing the sports court from behind the storage room which is a blind spot from the court. “Sorry, Kiba. Koneko-chan is……”
“I know it since I heard the announcement as well. She must be feeling regrets. I never knew what she was always thinking about, but she was really pumped for this match. She was working hard when we were setting the traps in the forest.”
“......Let’s win.”
“Of course, Ise-kun.”
We hit our knuckles together. Kiba pisses me off during our normal school life, but he is the most dependable ally in terms of battle. Occult Research Club’s male pair! If we don’t show guts right here, then we will look totally uncool in front of the girls. “Also, was it you who defeated the enemy [Pawns]?”
Kiba nods at my question. “Yeah. The clubroom located at the sports court is an important location. So it’s natural that there are lots of enemies. I somehow managed to lure the [Pawns] that were keeping their eyes over there and took them down. But the person in charge of this location is quite calm and hasn’t responded to my provocation. Well, it seems like she used the [Pawns] to watch my attacks. Seems like Raiser Phoenix likes to battle by sacrificing his servants. It’s something only he is able to pull off because of his immortality and the number of servants he has.”
Kiba is smiling, but his eyes aren’t. “The enemies who are in charge of here are one [Knight], one [Rook], and one [Bishop]. Three pieces in total.”
“……That’s a severe defence.”
“Well, that’s how much they are keeping up their guard for this place. Against our intrusion here, that is. Since we eliminated the gym, they will put more strength here.”
The two routes that were seen as a path to the bases. The route from the gym and the route from the sports court that is behind the new school building. Buchou chose to destroy one path, so the only place they need to guard is this sports court. So it will be natural for them to increase the strength here. Well, because of our plan earlier, it ended by making their [Queen] come to the front lines……
Looks like the battle at this place will be more intense than the one at the gym. Ugh, I’m getting a bit nervous! “Are you nervous?”
Kiba asks me with a smile. It makes my face red. “O-Of course! I basically have no battle experience! And now I’m here in an actual battle. I would be a grunt compared to you who is full of battle experience.”
I have the powerful Boosted Gear. That will be enough for me to be a threat. But the wielder, which is me, is still a newbie in terms of battle. It’s like a waste of treasure. But still, I want to fight for Buchou. I want to do something for Buchou. Even if I’m a weakling on this battlefield, I won’t go down without a fight. If I’m going to get defeated, I will at least take many opponents down along with me. “Look.”
While I try to make my determination strong, Kiba shows me his hand. —! Kiba’s hands are shaking. “Ise-kun, you said I have a lot of battle experience. That’s certainly true. But it’s my first time participating in the Rating Game. A serious battle between Devils. Even if this match is a special case, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a serious fight. We get involved in Devils fights, whether we like it or not. And this is our first game. We can’t show them even a slight opening in our guard. This is a match where we have to give it all we got as Buchou’s servant Devils. It’s something that will be important even in the future. I feel delighted and also scared. I don’t want to forget the feeling of my hands' shaking. This feeling of being nervous, this intense atmosphere, I want to feel everything and turn it into my experience. Let’s become stronger together, Ise-kun.”
Kiba……has been thinking that much about this match…… Like I thought, in terms of battle he’s—. “Then let’s do a combination that would make the girls get aroused.”
“Hahaha! Does it mean that I’m the one who goes from “behind”?”
“Dumbass! If it’s sticking in, then it’s my job! I mean, no! Die, handsome!”
I totally got dragged into his pace! Ugh, what am I doing? Then I hear a loud voice of a brave woman. “I’m the [Knight] of Raiser Phoenix-sama, Carlamaine! I've become bored of trying to sniff through each other’s strategy! Rias Gremory’s [Knight]! I challenge you to a duel!”
At the baseball court. There is a woman cladded in armour who is standing at the centre of it daringly. What a bold female [Knight]! She can’t complain if someone shoots her from the back! Fu. Kiba who is standing next to me laughs. “Since she introduced herself, I can’t hide myself both as a [Knight] and as a swordsman.”
After he mutters that out, he leaves from behind the storage room. He then walks straight to the baseball court. “That idiot.”
Even though I’m complaining, I also follow after Kiba by heading there from the front. —He looks cool. That’s what I thought after observing Kiba from his back. “I’m the [Knight] of Rias Gremory, Kiba Yuuto.”
“I’m the [Pawn], Hyoudou Issei!”
Kiba and I named ourselves to Raiser’s [Knight], Carlamaine. The female knight then makes a happy face. “I’m happy that there are warriors like you two in Rias Gremory’s group. Coming out here directly from the front. | text_2 |
That’s something people with normal sanity won’t do.”
So we don’t have normal sanity, huh. “But I love idiots like you two. Now then, let’s begin.”
Carlamaine draws her sword out from the sheath. Kiba also gets ready to draw his sword out. “The match between [Knights]. I have been waiting for this. Personally I would like to fight in an intense sword fight.”
Kiba’s aggressive words. Oh my, Kiba is making a really lively smile! “Well said! Rias Gremory’s [Knight]!”
Carlamaine starts to slash as if she is dancing. GIN! The swords hit each other making sparks! They both have god speed because they are [Knights]! They started their battle! Exchanges of swords that I can’t follow with my eyes. They both keep on appearing and disappearing due to their high speed! So what am I supposed to do? ......Hmm, I will be killing the tension if I help Kiba. No matter how you look at it, this is a one on one fight. Hmm, maybe I should give him cheers like, “Go Kiba!” or “You can do it Kiba”. “You seem bored.”
“—!”
When I look at the direction where the voice came from, there is a woman wearing a mask that just covers half of her face. I’m certain this woman is a [Rook]. Then another person came while complaining. “Geez, this only seems like a mud fight since both of them only thinks about swords, swords and swords. Carlamaine was making a bitter face when the [Pawns] were being sacrificed, so does she hate the battle strategy planned by her Master who happens to be her [King]? Furthermore, when I thought I found a cute boy, he also happens to be a sword freak so I can’t stand this.”
There is also a beautiful girl who is wearing a dress like the ones worn by western princesses. I think she is Raiser’s [Bishop]. She has a drill shaped hairstyle on both sides. She seems like a real princess. Wow! I’m surrounded by the Devils that are in charge of this place! The [Bishop] princess looks at me with weird eyes. W-What is it? “Hmm. So this boy is the [Pawn] that Rias Gremory adores? Does that person have bad taste in looking at gentleman?”
She then starts to say rude things. Ku! She has a bad tongue even though she has a cute face! I take my distance from where I was standing and make a fighting stance against the two. “Boosted Gear standby!”
[Boost!!] The Sacred Gear power up starts. I have to leave the [Knight] to Kiba, and take care of these two! But the [Bishop] girl just sighs. “I’m not going to be your opponent. Isabella, why don’t you be his opponent?”
The masked woman who is called Isabella nods obediently. The girl wearing a dress moves away from us after she got a confirmation from Isabella, and is looking at us from a distance. Eh!? The drill-roll haired girl isn’t fighting!? “I was planning to in the first place. Now then, let’s fight since we are both bored.”
“Ah, yeah. That’s okay, but isn’t that [Bishop] going to fight?”
It’s my question to her. That’s because this is supposed to be an important fight, right? Even I don’t know how to react if she decides to withdraw from a fight like this……
Hearing that question, Isabella-san the mask woman, put her hand on her forehead and make a troubled face. “Ah, don’t worry about her. That girl is special. She will be mostly observing for this fight as well.”
“W-What the hell is that! ?”
Words slips out from my mouth. Seriously, can’t you make a better excuse than “watching”!? This is supposed to be an important battle! “She is—. No, that person is Ravel Phoenix. Raiser-sama’s little sister. She became Raiser-sama’s servant by using a special method, but she is Raiser-sama’s actual sister.”
…………Huh? That beautiful girl? That bird guy’s? Huh? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!! The bird bastard’s sister waves her hand with a smile at me as if she realised that I’m in shock to find the truth. …………Hey, is that even allowed? He put his sister in his group and made her participate in the battle!? “According to Raiser-sama, “Having your sister in your harem has a significant meaning. You know the significant view of having your close relatives? You know how there are people who look up to and also get jealous about it? Well, I’m not into little sisters, so I have her in my group as fashion.”.”
……So that bird guy is really a perv and also a dumb-ass! But I think I know the feeling of having your little sister in your harem! Little sisters are good! I also wanted one! No, that’s not it! Fine then! So that girl is his sister, and she won't fight me huh! “Now, here I come! Rias Gremory’s [Pawn]!”
SWIFT! When I thought that the [Rook] Isabella came forward, a really sharp punch passes through my cheek! Uwah! Lucky I dodged the attack by instinct! “I see. So you can dodge a punch like this. Sorry. I was looking down on you a bit. I’ll put one gear, no, I will increase by two gears then!”
Isabella makes a suspicious move while moving her body. But—. SWISH! SWISH! She starts to attack from unpredictable angles and places! Wow! When I thought that I dodged her attack which she did by bending her arm, it came back again like a whip! Is this one of those flicker jabs you see in boxing!? It will definitely hurt if I get hit by it! I can’t attack unless I have my Boosted Gear to a certain degree! For now I have to dodge! I dodge the attacks like mad and then—
KICK! “……Gah!”
I suddenly feel an intense pain in my stomach. A kick. I was kicked! I was too focused on her punches so I didn’t pay attention to her legs……! I became unbalanced, and more punches came at my face! Lots of her flicker jabs hits my face. It hurts! This is seriously bad! [Boost!!] Ku! I’m sure that was my fifth boost! This will be enough if my opponent is a [Pawn], but this isn’t enough to defeat a [Rook]! In terms of piece value, [Rook] is the next highest after [Queen]! I won’t be able to take her down with half-assed attacks! I cross my arms to guard against her punches. Her punches are heavy even with my guard on! I will retire right away if I continue to receive these hits! I step back when she withdrew her fist! The enemy’s attack stops. But she is still moving. I won’t know when she will attack again. I’m glad that I sparred with Kiba and Koneko-chan. That proved to be very useful. That’s because it gave me the sense to know when the opponent will stop attacking. Buchou also told me how to run so I was able to dodge the attacks just now. Then the [Rook] Isabella smiles. “I was taking you lightly. To tell you the truth, I thought I got you when my kick hit you…… Looks like Rias Gremory has been training you well. Especially your stamina is magnificent.”
Stamina……? Did I do something amazing? “In a serious battle, the most important thing is the stamina. Even idiots can fight. But you need stamina to continue for a few minutes. Battles consume lots of stamina and concentration. Just dodging the attack requires quite an amount of effort. So being able to do it till now means that you have been training your body a lot.”
—! My heart becomes full. The bitter training. | text_2 |
The shouts which made Buchou seem like a Devil. I was forced to run from the morning, and even had to carry rocks on my back in the mountain path. I thought I was going to die. It even made me think if those were necessary. But Buchou stayed by my side from morning to dawn. Then my eyes got teary. I start to shed some tears pathetically in front of the enemy. Buchou! Buchou! I am able to fight! I am standing! Everything that you have done for me is showing results! I can’t lose. I won’t lose! I will definitely make Buchou win! This woman! I will defeat this [Rook] who is right in front of me! “……Looks like I said something unnecessary. I felt your pressure increase.”
“[Rook] Isabella. I am the weakest and the least experienced member in Rias Gremory-sama’s group. But still I will defeat you!”
It happens when I made my resolve. BUZZ! I heard the sound of the wind. When I look, I witness Kiba’s darkness sword dispersing. —Holy Eraser. A Sacred Gear where a darkness sword devours light and its blade is engulfed by darkness. It’s Kiba’s Sacred Gear, but it looks like a part of it was blown away by the enemy [Knight]. “Unfortunately, your Sacred Gear won’t work on me.”
Carlamaine’s sword is covered in flames. A flame sword? So the darkness sword got beaten by that huh. But Kiba doesn’t seem bothered by it, and instead makes a smirk. “Then I will also tell you this. Unfortunately, this isn’t everything of my Sacred Gear.”
“What? Nonsense. [Knight] of Gremory, it’s unsightly for a swordsman to……”
“—Freeze.”
After Kiba says that with a small voice, there is something gathering in the blade-less sword. Huh? It feels like it has gotten cold…… Chills starts to gather around here. When I was feeling something like that, Kiba’s sword starts to freeze. The ice starts to pile up and it takes the shape of a sword. BREAK! At the same time with the sound of ice breaking, Kiba’s sword forms into a blade of ice. “In front of this sword, “Flame Delete”, all types of fire will disappear.”
—I-Ice sword!? Hey, hey, hey, hey! The darkness sword isn’t the only weapon of Kiba's!? Everyone except Kiba has a shocked expression. That’s obvious. Is it even possible!? “A-Absurd! Are you telling me that you have two Sacred Gears! ?”
Carlamaine swings her flame sword to the side! She has an impatient look. BREAK BREAK-BREAK……
The instant Carlamaine’s sword touches Kiba’s sword, the flame sword starts to freeze and turn into a solid. Then—. It makes a sound and breaks. Then it disappears. But she doesn’t stop attacking. As soon as she throws away her sword, she takes a short sword from her hip. She then put her sword up and shouts. “We are the members of the all mighty House of Phoenix that rule over fire and wind! Taste it! The whirlwind of fire!”
BUUUUUUURN! There is a wind of fire around the baseball court with Carlamaine and Kiba in the middle of it. The hot wind is burning my skin. “That Carlamaine. Has she forgotten that her allies are here as well! ?”
Isabella comments, while using her arm to guard her face. Kiba’s ice sword starts to melt after receiving the wind of fire. Even so, Kiba still doesn’t seem to be bothered. “I see, you are trying to burn us with the whirlwind of fire…… But.”
Kiba put his blade-less sword in front of him. He then says it with a strong voice. “—Stop.”
SUUUUUUUUCK! The wind is getting sucked into Kiba’s sword while making a large noise. The wind stops within few seconds, and the baseball ground becomes silent. “Replenish Calm”. It’s been a while since I last showed more than two demonic swords for one battle.”
There is a unique looking blade in Kiba’s sword. There is a mysterious whirlwind in the middle of the blade. The winds were sucked in there? He can even make that kind of sword as well!? “……Multiple Sacred Gears. Are you a Sacred Gear possessor who takes the weapons of other Sacred Gear users and makes it their own?”
Kiba shakes his head at Carlamaine’s question. “I don’t have multiple Sacred Gears. I also don’t take the Sacred Gears of others and make them my own. I created it.”
“Created……it?”
“Yes. “Sword Birth”. I can make any type of demonic swords. That is the name of my Sacred Gear and its true ability.”
Multiple swords appear from the ground when he put his hand downwards! There are swords with different shapes. Even the blades are different! From Kiba’s words, all of them must be demonic swords! [Boost!!] —Here it comes! One hundred and fifty seconds exact! Now I’m also ready! —When you form a block of demonic-power, shoot it with a shape you imagine the most. What Buchou said comes back to my mind. The easiest way for shooting a block of power for me is how the main character of “Dragon Ball”, “Son Goku”, shoots “Kamehameha”! “Boosted Gear! Explode!”
[Explosion!!] A massive load of energy waves gathers on both my hands. I spread my arms across and put them together! I imagine how I will shoot it, and then shoot it out by feeling the energy flowing within me! But I need to hold back. The power that destroyed the mountain is bad. It may affect Buchou’s strategy if I destroy the school building. I shoot it while holding back—. My special move! “Dragon Shot”! I scream the name of my special move inside myself since the enemy may predict what I’m about to do by hearing it. DON! A mass of demonic-power gets released from my hands. “Guwah!”
I get pushed back because of its power. I continue to look at the “Dragon Shot” even though I get myself pushed back! It’s huge! Even if you compare it to my body, it’s about five times the size of my height. And that is heading towards my opponent really fast. My target is Raiser’s [Rook]. Buchou told me that in a “Rating Game”, [Rooks] are the most troublesome ones. Their attacks and defences gets higher. These are the [Rooks] traits and that is what their most terrifying aspect is. It’s normal to give the role of [Rook] to someone with high attack and defence, but it is also used in a different way. You can also give a role of [Rook] to someone with high speed or high demonic-power. People who fight using demonic-power tends to have weak physical builds. So they used the trait to overcome their weakness. So if you give the role of [Rook] to someone with fast legs, they will turn into all-rounder type with fast legs, high defence and high attack. Furthermore, [Rook] has a special ability similar to the “promotion” of a [Pawn]. —The “Castling”. They can change the position of themselves with the [King] immediately. Buchou told me this is the most troublesome technique. It doesn’t do anything after “Checkmate”, but swapping the position of the [King] and [Rook] is certainly powerful. Increasing their strong points or covering their weak points is up to the Master. There are so many ways of using the pieces. That’s why I will take on the [Rook] Isabella. “Isabella! Don’t take it! Dodge!”
Raiser’s [Knight], Carlamaine shouts. Isabella who was trying to take the attack before changes her action by evading it. PASS! | text_2 |
Isabella just dodges my attack. My Dragon Shot that misses the target went far away. It’s heading for the tennis court. The next moment—. BAAAAAAAANG! The sound of the ground rumbling! A red glow of light and whirlwind hit us! I look at the Dragon Shot that had hit the tennis court and I can’t believe what I am seeing. —It’s gone! The tennis court along with the surrounding sports grounds is gone! Did it get blown away!? With my attack!? Even if it is a replica, the school looks totally different from before! There isn’t even a trace left of the tennis court! Instead there is a huge crater! I hold back, yet this destructive power!? I realise it once again. My Sacred Gear is abnormal! “Isabella! Defeat that [Pawn]! That boy! That Sacred Gear has the power to change the outcome of the battle!”
By following the shouts of Carlamaine, Raiser’s [Rook] Isabella locked-on at me. “Affirmative! Boosted Gear! It will become a big threat if we allow him to use “promotion”! I will take him down before that happens!”
It’s different from before, Isabella! My current attack power is that of a High-class Devil! The enemy came rushing in at me, starting to kick and punch. I guard them, and put strength in my left arm! “Daa!”
My knuckle went towards Isabella. She crosses her arms and guards, but……
BANG! My heavy blow breaks the guard and sends the masked [Rook] flying! Yes! I touched her! I can use it now! “Burst! Dress Break!”
POP! That moment, Isabella’s clothes gets blown away. Her naked body becomes visible. Wow, those are huge oppais! It’s really good since her body is tight! I have saved it in my brain's memory! “What! What is this! ?”
Isabella reacts by hiding her private parts. Well of course you will react that way! Here it is! Without wasting anytime, I put forward the small block of demonic-power that I created with my right hand! What I imagine is a block of demonic-power launching from my hand! I shoot it towards the enemy! “Goooooo!”
SHOOOOOT! The mass of demonic-power that has been powered up significantly with the gauntlet went forward! “Ku! With a move like this!”
The waves of demonic-power cover the naked Isabella’s body. BAAAAAANG! A big shock-wave spread throughout the area. When it calms down, Isabella who is on the ground starts to get covered with light. She starts to fade away and disappear from this place. [Reset]
The effect of Boosted Gear runs out. Then—. [Raiser Phoenix-sama’s [Rook] retires.] I heard the announcement of Grayfia-san. “Hell yeaaaaaah! !”
I shout with joy because I defeated a [Rook]. I can fight! I can fight because of you, Buchou! I try to inhale some air after the fight with Isabella. ……I used quite a lot of stamina and demonic-power. In terms of demonic-power, I used my potential energy within me, so the stronger the attack the more exhausted I will get. I guess it will be good if I can release two more shots of demonic-power which has the same strength is the one I just shot. No, after my second shot, there's a threat that my demonic-power will run out and I may faint due to it. I need to think that I only have one more shot left. Raiser’s [Knight], Carlamaine, smirks after losing Isabella. “Apparently both Isabella and I have been taking that [Pawn] and the Boosted Gear lightly. Just like I thought, I shouldn’t take him as an ordinary [Pawn].”
The enemy praises me. This doesn’t feel bad at all. I feel a bit happy. “But it’s an awful attack. No, I should say it’s a scary attack. B-Blowing away a woman’s clothes……”
“Yeah, I’m truly sorry. I will apologise as well. I’m sorry for our Ise-kun being a lecher.”
Like that, Kiba apologises to Carlamaine. ……Why are you apologising? I feel complicated. Carlamaine says it while holding the short sword with the other hand. “But a demonic sword wielder……what fortune. I may have a destiny of meeting swordsmen who wield special swords.”
Kiba seems quite interested after hearing that. “Hmm, so there is someone besides me who uses demonic swords?”
“No, it wasn’t a demonic sword. It was a holy sword.”
“—!”
Everyone here realises how Kiba’s expression changes after hearing that. Instantly there is a load of killing intent coming out from Kiba. Wow. What killing intent! It feels really cold. My whole body feels cold. Kiba asks with a low voice while having cold eyes. “Tell me about that holy sword wielder.”
……What intense force. He has the same level of hostility as Buchou when she’s pissed. Holy sword? What does that have to do with Kiba? “Hmm, seems like that swordsman has some connection to you. But since we are swordsmen, talking would be rude. I will answer you with my sword!”
“……Is that right. ……If your mouth can move, then it won’t be a problem even if you turn into a state where you are on the verge of death.”
CHILLS. There is killing intent between the two. The killing intents are so strong that it is making me shake as well. Kiba! What happened to you!? Your usual refreshing smile is gone!? Someone approaches me while I’m feeling nervous at Kiba’s change. “So it’s here.”
“Huh? Where’s Isabella-neesan?”
“Don’t tell me she was defeated?”
Lots of Raiser’s servant girls starts to gather. I remember their faces. There are two [Pawns], one [Bishop], and one [Knight] here……hey, it’s the gathering of the remaining servants! What the. Are they trying to pull off a massive battle here!? There are only me and Kiba from our group!? Akeno-san is probably still fighting the enemy [Queen]. There are still lightning in the sky. Buchou and Asia are…… Yeah, what happened to those two? They should be moving ahead from the base according to the plan……
“Hey, the [Pawn]-kun over there.”
Raiser’s girl calls me. What is it? “Raiser-sama said he’s going to fight your princess one-on-one. See there.”
The girl points very high at the sky. When I look in that direction, there is a shadow with fire wings and a shadow with black wings above the rooftop of the new school building. No matter how I look at it, the person with black wings clearly has a crimson hair! That is Buchou! [Ise-san! Can you hear me, Ise-san!?] Asia’s voice comes out from the transceiver. “Asia! What happened? Is it about Buchou?”
[Yes. Right now I’m with Buchou-san on the school rooftop. The opponent, Raiser-san, challenged Buchou to a duel and Buchou-san accepted it! Thanks to that we were able to get into the school building without any problem……]
……What kind of thing is happening? I’m making a clueless face, and Raiser’s sister comes to talk to me with a slim grin. “Seems like Onii-sama made a challenge since Rias-sama was doing well in the battle unexpectedly. It would have been our win if we fought normally, so he gave her pity. At this rate, she will be defeated before you fight him.”
His sister starts laughing by putting her hand on her mouth where the sound of her laughter went as “Hohoho”. I’m starting to get pissed! “Buchou is strong! Akeno-san will also come here as soon as she defeats the [Queen]! | text_2 |
Kiba will also defeat all of the servants here with his demonic swords combo! I will also use my Boosted Gear and……”
“The “Crimson-hair Ruin-princess”, “Priestess of Lightning”, “Sword Birth”, and “Boosted Gear”. Just hearing the names gives me chills. But your opponent is the “immortal bird”. No matter what kind of power you have, it means nothing against the immortal bird.”
“But the “Phoenix” also has weak points!”
His sister laughs at my argument with her nose. “Are you going to beat him until he loses the will to fight? Or are you going to defeat him with a strike that rivals God? Are you trying to win this match? That’s a laugh.”
“Why is it! ?”
“That’s because there was no chance for Rias-sama to win from the beginning. That’s how much despair the thing “immortal” is to you.”
Raiser’s sister makes a click with her fingers. The servant Devils surrounds me. “Carlamaine. I will leave that [Knight] boy to you, but if you lose we won’t fight in one-on-one. We will defeat him together. Or are you trying to lower the name of Phoenix?”
Carlamaine agrees to Raiser’s sisters words reluctantly. “Sieris.”
“Affirmative.”
The one who steps forward is a woman with a wild appearance. She is carrying a sword on her back. “She is Onii-sama’s other [Knight]. Unlike Carlamaine over there, she doesn’t have any of that “honour of a knight”. She will defeat her opponent. Just like that.”
The woman called Sieris draws her sword from her back…… It’s a big sword. It’s really wide. Will I die if I get cut by that thing? “But she can do the finishing. Ni and Li.”
“Nya.”
“Nya-nya.”
The one who responds to her words are two girls with beast ears. I think they are [Pawns]. “They are female beast warriors. Their hand to hand combat is remarkable you know.”
SWISH! The two beast girls disappear from my sight! Then I receive a blow on my stomach and head! “Guhaa!”
Without a time to whine, I start to receive blows in my legs, arms, shoulders, back. Everywhere in my body! I-I can’t see their fists! What speed! “B-Boosted Gear!”
[Boost!!] The boost starts! But the enemy’s attack increases more. “Ni! Li! Boosted Gear is a Sacred Gear that doubles the power every ten seconds! From how the chainsaw twins, Eel and Nel, were defeated, you won’t be able to take him after he gets his third boost! Finish the fight within twenty seconds. Due to his Sacred Gear ability, he can’t fight when he increases his boosts! He will just run away! Aim for his legs! Also don’t touch his hands! It seems like that person has a shameless move that blows away clothes by touching his opponents!”
After hearing that, the twins make an expression of fear. “That’s low!”
“Beast!”
Shut up! What’s wrong with it!? What’s wrong with obtaining a move that strips down girls naked!? “It’s vulgar to think with your lower body!”
“What’s wrong with thinking with my lower body!? I’m a guy! !”
Well it may be pointless talking back at them. But Raiser’s sister, she understands my weakness very well! BANG! Ouch! Shit! They are aiming for my legs now! They low kicked me in my calves! Does a beast girl’s kick hurt this much!? Are their basic physical bodies high because they are beasts!? I can’t attack recklessly while the Boosted Gear is doubling my power! Starting from one where I don’t have any time to spare will be the worst scenario! I have to run and evade……
BANG! “Ouch!”
Another low kick! It hurts! It’s not only that! My legs are shaking because of the pain! With this, I can’t run away—. “Guhaa!”
I receive a heavy punch in my face. My blood comes out. Blood. Blood! From my mouth and nose! Tears starts to come out because of the pain! “Ise-kun! Shit!”
When Kiba sees my situation, he holds the sword with two hands and starts slashing so he can defeat Carlamaine quickly! “Carlamaine! Hold it for another ten seconds! I know that you can’t win against that [Knight]! But we will be able to defeat the Dragon-user shortly! Keep that [Knight] busy!”
Raiser’s sister laughs with enjoyment. Are you just observing like a king!? She truly is a bitch! STOMP. Finally, my legs can’t move anymore. My knee hit the ground. ……Crap. I don’t have any strength left in my legs. My head starts to get heavy as well. I take too much damage……
Shit! If I faint now, I will retire! I don’t want that! I don’t want to lose while not being of help to Buchou! BAAAAAAANG! A shock-wave shakes the whole field! I look up because I thought it might be, and it was Buchou and Raiser fighting. They are clashing against each other by using their crimson demonic-power and fire demonic-power up in the air. Raiser doesn’t even have a scratch. Even his clothes aren’t ripped. And Buchou on the other hand has some parts of her uniform burnt. I think she is breathing heavily as well. —That’s because there is no chance for Rias-sama to win from the beginning. That’s how much despair the thing “immortal” is to you. The thing that Raiser’s sister said earlier crosses my mind. ……Lose? Us? Buchou is? What will happen if we lose? Then Buchou will……with him……
That! That I won't forgive! I have to stand. I have to stand even if my body gets turned into meat. Is it because I like her? That’s part of it. Love is a part of it. But more than that, I have to protect her. I want to protect that person. It's not about the contract or constraint. That person needs to stand strong while wavering her crimson hair. That’s Buchou. That's the person who I came to admire. Buchou told me she doesn’t want him. Buchou told me to fight. Then I— I just have to fight. —Hey Red Dragon Emperor-san. Answer me if you can hear me. “Give me strength! Boosted Gear!”
[Dragon Booster!!] My Sacred Gear makes a red light. It’s not enough. This isn’t enough! I want more strength! “More! That time it was Asia! Now it’s Buchou! Answer my feelings! Boosted Geeeeeear!”
[Dragon Booster second Liberation!!] The gauntlet makes a sound that I have never heard before, and there is a change to my left arm. The red aura covers my left arm, and it shapes into something. The gauntlet starts to change its shape and form. When the aura disappears, the Boosted Gear—
“......It changed?”
The gauntlet, which was said to be a crystallisation of insane power, changed into a new form. The jewel that is on the hand part of the gauntlet also shows up on my arm. Therefore it has changed the overlook of it. ……Huh? What is this—? I’m wondering about it, and the jewel sends the information to my head. …………
……So that’s how I use my new power…… A smirk appears on my face, naturally on its own. I can, we can still get stronger! “Kibaaaaaa!”
I put all my strength to my legs and got up! Haha, I can hear screams from various places in my body! But keep moving for a bit more, my body! And—
I sprint! I sprint towards Kiba! “Release your Sacred Geeeeeear!”
Kiba seems confused at my shout. But he put his sword on the ground and howls highly! “Sword Birth!”
PING! The ground glows, and lots of demonic swords appears. It’s here! | text_2 |
I thrust my fist on the glowing ground and shout! “Boosted Gear! The second ability!”
With the power I increased with my Sacred Gear, I send the power to the ground! There is only one target! Kiba’s ability to create demonic swords! “Boosted Gear Gift!”
[Transfer.] PING!! The sound of metal rumbling violently echoes through the area. All of the sports court becomes a sea of swords. There are different shapes of swords in various places where the blades are directed towards the sky. The whole area becomes like a display area of demonic swords. All of them are the demonic swords created by Kiba. —The second power, “Boosted Gear Gift”. The effect is to send the power that I boosted with the gauntlet to other people or objects and increase its power drastically. I sent my power to Kiba’s demonic swords through the ground. And this is the result. It increased the power of creating demonic swords and the area around us became a field of blades. “……Impossible.”
“Are you telling me this is also the power of the Dragon……?”
Raiser’s servants blurt out their anguish. That can't be helped. Their bodies are penetrated by the many sharp swords that are sticking out from the ground. Then their body starts to glow and disappear from the battlefield. —They are retiring! [Raiser Phoenix-sama’s two [Pawns], two [Knights], and one [Bishop], retires.] “Yes!”
I make a victory pose after hearing Grayfia-san’s announcement. With that attack, it took down a large number of their servants! I can do it! We can do it! With this new power, “Gift”, Buchou, Akeno-san and Kiba’s power will increase! Oh yeah! We can even enhance Asia’s healing ability! Yes, with this new ability we can defeat Raiser! “Ise-kun. I’m surprised. This power……”
Kiba looks around at the various demonic swords with an awestruck look. He seems surprised since his ability did more effects than he thought. “Yeah, Kiba. I used the gauntlet to strengthen your—”
That instant, an announcement which we can’t believe is revealed. [Rias Gremory-sama’s [Queen] retires.] “—! ?’
“What! ?”
Kiba and I can’t believe our ears. Of course! I can’t believe it! A-Akeno-san…… That can’t be! Akeno-san is the strongest out of us—
BAAAAAAAANG! The ground vibrateS violently and I hear a familiar noise. The sound came from where Kiba is. When I look in that direction timidly, I lost my words. Kiba—. Our [Knight] is on the ground with smoke coming out from his body. There is blood around him. Even without any time reaching him, his body gets covered with light and he disappears. [Rias Gremory-sama’s [Knight] retires.] Another unbelievable announcement echoes through the field. I can only stand there in a daze with the continued outcome of unexpected events……
I’m the only one out in the athletic fields, which were flooded with both the enemies and my comrade. BREAK……
The world of demonic swords that is covering the sports ground. But by losing its master, the demonic swords make a sound and start to shatter one by one. The fragments of demonic swords that float in the air of the sports ground while making a silver glow. It’s making a magical atmosphere due to the sparkling lights. All of the demonic swords disappears from the sports ground within few seconds. —! Without a second to spare, I catch a glimpse of a shadow up in the air. When I look up, there is a magician with a hood. —It’s Raiser’s [Queen]! She is supposed to be fighting Akeno-san! But only Akeno-san retired!? It doesn’t seem like the enemy received any wounds! What is going on! It’s not possible for Akeno-san to lose without achieving anything! “The [Knight], eliminated.”
Raiser’s [Queen] makes derisive laughter while saying that cold word. That moment, I snap. “Were you the one who did in Kiba and Akeno-san! ?”
That explosion! Yeah, Koneko-chan also retired because of that explosion created from the demonic-power! Damn it! She even took Kiba! “Come down here! Akeno-san! Koneko-chan! And Kiba! I will avenge them! Come down! I will take you down with my Sacred Gear so come doooooown!”
I put my fist upwards and provoke the [Queen]. The [Queen] looks at me with a grin and flies off towards the new school building rooftop with her black wings as if she lost interest in me. “Wait! I said wait, damn it!”
I chase after the [Queen] with my anger! I won’t let you go! Like hell I will! Buchou is there! Asia is also there! I won’t let you hurt any of my comrades anymore! I won’t let yoooooou! SLIP! “Agah!”
There is no strength in my legs, and I fall. I try to get up quickly, but there isn’t any power left in my body……! My body won’t move because it’s shaking like mad……! Even I know it. My stamina has hit its limit—. I lasted this long because Buchou trained me, but this will be the outcome if someone like me, with no battle experience, fights this long. My heart beat is pulsing really fast as well. I’m also breathing hard. The damage is getting worse and it looks bad. I’m about to lose my mind because my face, arms, legs, and stomach hurts. I also can't think straight because I lost my comrades right in front of me. This is probably because I just witnessed the situation that made me feel as if my heart got ripped out from my body. —But I have to stand. What moves me even under this situation is my duty where I have to go to where Buchou is. “Ngaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
I shout out really loudly so I can put my spirit up. It seems like there is a bit of energy left in my legs. Then I can stand! I stand up slowly and I manage to face the direction of the school building. Yeah, I need to go to the rooftop. When I was thinking of going, someone speaks to me. “Are you still going to continue to fight?”
When I turn around, Raiser’s sister comes down from the sky with her wings of fire. ……She wasn’t eliminated with the demonic swords? Did she evade it by flying? If I think about it, the announcement said only one [Bishop] retired. I make a stance against her but she shrugs her shoulders. “I’m not going to fight any more. Because no matter how you think about it, it’s your group’s loss.”
“Shut up. Neither me or Buchou have fallen yet.”
“The power of the Dragon from earlier. It certainly was something tremendous. To transfer the power you boosted to the person you choose. I think it’s an abnormal power and thinking of Rias-sama’s power of destruction and “Priestess of Lightning” power’s rising scares me. That power would be a threat to the High-class Devils in the Rating Game in the future. —But it’s your group’s loss for this battle.”
“……Is it because Phoenix is immortal?”
“That’s part of it but also because both you and Rias-sama barely have any stamina left, correct? Even if you can heal any wounds, you can’t heal stamina. In this situation you will lose because you will get even more worn out. Also—”
Raiser’s sister takes out a small bottle…… What is that? Is it holy water? It can’t be. “—Phoenix’s Tear. Have you heard of it? This is it. Our tears can heal all types of injuries.”
Phoenix’s Tears!? | text_2 |
Buchou told me about it at the camp in the mountain. But is it even allowed!? “Don’t say it’s cheating. Your group also has a person who possesses the “Twilight Healing”, correct?”
She says it as if she read my mind. “And it even is in the rule book that “Only two Devils participating in the Rating Game can use it”. It was restricted because it was too powerful. Well, that would be natural. In our case our [Queen] and myself was in possession of it. That’s why our [Queen] was able to defeat the “Priestess of Lightning”. Also our tears are sold for high prices. Thanks to that, the House of Phoenix is very wealthy. Only good things happened since the game was created. Immortality and tears, this certainly is our age.”
Raiser’s sister starts to speak proudly. Phoenix’s Tear. ……N-No, if the opponent can heal during battle then even Akeno-san will…… It won’t go anywhere if I just think about the negatives. I make up my mind again and walk towards the building. “H-Hold on! Are you ignoring me!? You are going to lose anyway so it’s safer to stay here with me! ?”
“Shut up. Just talk to yourself bird-girl. If you get close to me I will strip you naked.”
Raiser’s sister makes a stance to defend herself. Yeah, since she is a girl, that’s the right response. I move towards the building. After a while, I heard a shrill voice from behind. I got into the building from the back door and am running through the corridor. My goal is the rooftop! To Buchou’s side! HEARTBEAT. There is a change of “trait” inside me. I have met the criteria since I got into the enemy base! “Promotion! [Queen]!”
I can feel power within my body. I run thorough the corridor! But—. SLIIIIIIP! I fell violently in the corridor. I have lost the sense of feeling in my legs. I know the reason for it. My stamina hit the limit, right? Even if I gained a new ability, I don’t have the stamina to use it. Even so, I still have to stand. I have to go to the rooftop even if I have to crawl. Akeno-san’s gone. Koneko-chan’s gone. Kiba’s gone. All of my comrades disappeared from this field. I’m the only member left that can protect Buchou! I have to persistently go to the rooftop! I don’t want to lose! I can’t lose! Buchou! I will make you win, Buchou! I stand and fall. I stand and fall again…… I continue to move up as I keep on repeating that. I’m heading towards Buchou while I shed tears, drool, and blood—. I then come to see the door to the rooftop! I open the door vigorously without taking a breath! —! Buchou and Raiser are confronting each other. Asia is looking at them nervously from a distance. Good. They are both safe. But Buchou is inhaling her breath painfully. Her beautiful crimson hair is messed up and her uniform is torn. I then inhale a large amount of air and,
“Buchoooooooou! Hyoudou Issei, here at your seeeeeervice!”
I say it out loudly so everyone on the rooftop can hear me. Everyone’s gazes are directed at me. “Ise!”
“Ise-san!”
Buchou and Asia makes a shout of joy. Hehehe, now I’m here! I can’t let the girls wait! “The Dragon-brat, huh. That Ravel, she let him pass huh.”
Raiser makes a sound with his tongue. It seems like his sister is going through a rebellious age. Thanks to that I got here safely. Then Raiser’s [Queen] comes down next to him. “Raiser-sama. Should I take care of the [Pawn] boy and the [Bishop] girl? Also, the power of the [Pawn] boy could be troublesome. His ability to get rid of what his opponents wear—”
Raiser stops his [Queen] who stepped forward with his hand. “It would be troublesome if he gets rid of the flame that covers my body? I wonder about that. From that ability and from Rias’s [Pawn]’s personality, it probably only has an effect on women. I will be their opponent. Then they will also be convinced.”
......What the hell is that? “It’s the last part so I will let them do what they want” , is that what he’s trying to say? He also understands the ability of my “Dress break” completely. Yeah, it only has an effect on girls. I made it by imaging it like that. I don’t want to see a guy’s naked body nor do I want to touch it. Well, it does have the power to peel off fruits and vegetables skins, but it doesn’t show any effect besides girls. “Don’t mess around Raiser!”
The angered Buchou shoots her demonic-power ball at Raiser’s face! He doesn’t even dodge it and receives it on his face. Ah, his face is blown away! Yes! While I was making a sign of joy, fire appears from the part of his blown face and starts to form a shape. Raiser’s face returns to its original shape since the flame turns into his face and hair. Raiser starts to twitch his neck as if nothing happened. —Immortal. This is the regeneration ability of the fire bird, Phoenix……
“Rias, resign. You will make your Otou-sama and Sirzechs-sama who are watching from another place look bad. You have no more choices. Everyone already has foreseen the outcome. —It’s checkmate, Rias.”
Raiser says it as if he can see the outcome. But Buchou just glares at him. “Shut your mouth, Raiser. I won’t give up! They knew the outcome? I have no more choices? Me, the [King], is still active you know?”
Buchou laughs fearlessly. Yeah! If Buchou says that then I can continue to fight! It’s not over yet! We are going to turn the table now! I went to Buchou’s side and stand between Raiser and her. “Asia!”
When I called Asia, she looks at Raiser and his [Queen] nervously, and then she comes to me. Both Raiser and his [Queen] don’t even try to shoot Asia who is moving towards me. I kind of imagined they wouldn’t, but for them to have this much confidence! Asia starts to heal mine and Buchou’s wounds. When Asia’s hand touches me and Buchou, our body starts to get surrounded by a shade of green light. ……The pain disappears from my body as if the earlier pain was just my imagination. My swollen face starts to heal and my numb legs returns back to normal slowly. But my stamina doesn’t return. Even if the wounds healed, the stamina hasn’t……huh……
“Asia, stay back after you heal us.”
“!”
Asia puts on a shocked face. Her expression tells me that she didn’t imagine for me to say that to her. “If Asia stays, then you can heal me and Buchou. You are like our lifeline.”
Asia has a sad face and it seems like she wants to say something. But she closes her lips and steps back. This is right. If Asia is safe—. “Kyah!”
What!? I hear Asia’s scream. What comes into my eyes is the unfamiliar magic-circle below Asia’s foot. It seems like it is restricting Asia from moving. “Sorry about that. It would make you guys seem pathetic if it takes too long. I could have taken that girl down but…… I just made sure you guys can’t heal any more. That magic-circle can only be unsealed if my [Queen] is defeated.”
Raiser says that plainly. The opponent's [Queen] is putting her hand forward and her fingers are glowing. I see, so that [Queen] is restricting Asia……
Shit! Asia is one of our last trump cards! But I don’t have the time to complain! The last battle! “Buchou. | text_2 |
The battle continues right?”
“Yes it does!”
Buchou sounds as if she hasn’t given up yet! Yeah! We can still do it! “But only me, Buchou and Asia are left. And Asia is captured. He on the other hand is immortal. He also has two servants as well. The situation is the worst.”
I make a grin and say it out loudly. “But I won’t give up. I’m dumb so I don’t know anything about “foreseen” or “checkmate”. But I can still fight. I can continue fighting as long as I can crunch my fist!”
“Well said! Ise, let’s defeat Raiser together!”
“Yes Buchou!”
Buchou orders me proudly like usual. You heard right, Boosted Gear!? My Master gave me an order! It’s simple. I just need to beat the guy in front of me. Yeah, just that! “Let’s go!”
[Burst]
That is the sound that I shouldn’t have listened to. When the jewel makes that sound, my body feels heavy instantly and it feels like my body stopped working—. My consciousness is fading! No! Anything but that! I fall to the ground and vomit what is coming out of my mouth. —It’s a vomit of blood. I realise it when I see that. I realise that my insides are at their limit as well. The light disappears from the jewel. That’s because, me, the possessor, has reached the limit and so it has stopped functioning. ……I don’t have any injuries…… I can still fight……
Raiser says it to me who am on the ground:
“The Boosted Gear’s ability exhausts the possessor more than you can imagine. Doubling your power is something very abnormal. The burden it puts on the body is several times higher than the ordinary Sacred Gear. You have been running around the battlefield fighting my servants and continued using the Boosted Gear. —Rias’s [Pawn], you already reached your limit a long time ago.”
……Not yet. Even if you say that, even if that is true, I can still……
Buchou who is next to me makes a sad face. I’m sorry for making you worry. It’s not a problem. I will stand up now. I will. I put strength in my legs and got up. How many times have I fell down and got up now? “Buchou let’s go!”
I went running towards Raiser. “Guhaa!”
Intense pain strikes me. I lost count of how many times I received this intense pain today. ……I went down on the ground countless of times. I look so uncool……
Buchou……, let’s win. I will definitely win. Buchou is already on her knees and isn’t trying to stand up. Buchou ran out of her demonic-power. She blowed away Raiser countless of time, but Raiser kept on resurrecting while spreading his fire. As if nothing happened. I need to protect Buchou and Asia…… I’m the only one who can protect those two now……
I—. BANG! Raiser’s fist went deep into my stomach, and he twists his fist to make it go deeper. GOUGH. Bloods comes out of my mouth. ......So I can cough out blood even though I already spat out so much blood before......
My eyes become blurry...... I shake my head so I can make my eyes clear. It’s alright...... I will win...... I will defeat this Raiser......and will present you with victory, Buchou......
Then you will smile, right......? If you and Asia will laugh then I......
Yeah, ......Buchou...... ......Thank you for training me...... I can still stand because of you...... ......I will win. I’m a [Pawn] ...... I will become the strongest [Pawn]. Yeah, the strongest—. BANG. The fist went in to my face. It feels like it’s moving at slow motion the moment it hits me. ......I can still fight......, Buchou...... ......I will keep the promise...... I will win...... The battle progress to its climax. I understand it. I, Rias Gremory, have no more moves. In other words, checkmate. Now, there is not a single person on my-side who any strength left. But that boy continues to stand up. ——Ise. He is the only one who continues to move forward towards Raiser even under this situation. However, it's over. The punch from Raiser earlier has finished Ise. Seeing that boy fall backwards, my body rushes towards him unconsciously. Ise's body that I am holding onto is bloody and is covered with sweats, so he's in a terrible condition. Even so, I still loved this boy. “......Ise, you did very well. It’s all right now. Good job.”
I whispered to him gently, but he tries to get up by getting away from me. “It’s all right now! Ise!”
He pushes my hands away, and tries to get up. He takes a step, and another step without saying anything. It's a bizarre view which has so much intensity in it. Everyone is watching him while holding their breath. The opponent, Raiser, also approaches him expressionlessly. No! If I let this continue, I will lose Ise! My adorable servant. My Ise. I'm still planning to adore him even more, so I don’t want to lose him in a place like this! I went between Ise and Raiser, and stand front of Ise. “Ise! Stop! Can’t you listen to my——”
I said it till there, and swallowed my words. Of course. This...... He is...... Ise......you are......
Ise has already lost consciousness. Both his eyes are hollow and he has his mouth still open. Even so, he continues to move forward while crunching his fists that are shaking......
“.......You are still planning to fight even though you are in this state......”
I have tears on my cheeks without realising it. I reach my hand towards this adorable boy’s cheek. His cheeks are swollen, and I can't sense anything from his cheeks that usually gives strength to me. “......You dummy.”
I hug Ise who tries to move forward. “Good job, Ise.”
When I said those words, strength disappears from his body, and he fall to the ground. I hugged his body and lay him on my lap. You did say that you wanted a lap pillow......
——Buchou! I will definitely make you win! Ise hasn't barely learned how to use his demonic-powers, yet he continues to move forward with all his might within the battlefield. He barely has any battle experience. He should have been scared. There should have been times where he almost lost his life......
——I won’t give up. I’m dumb, so I don’t know anything about “foreseen” or “checkmate”. However, I can still fight. I will continue to fight till the end as long as I can crunch my fists! He continued to fight for me even though his fists got this swollen...... He always did. He was always smiling. He was always doing his best and he continues to fight for me. I was almost about to lose Ise forever. “Thank you, Akeno, Yuuto, Koneko, Asia and......Ise. Thank you for fighting for someone worthless like myself.”
After I pat Ise’s head gently, I say it to Raiser. “It’s my loss. I resign.”
My first Rating Game. It starts from a bitter and a painful defeat. I will never forget this defeat. Red——. I'm having a red dream. Something makes a sudden complaint to me within myself. It's saying that the power I am using now isn’t its real strength. Who said that? The Sacred Gear? Something which is inside me? He moves its lips while shaking its scorching fire. [If you are like that, you will never get strong.] I hear something like that in my mind. It's not something I thought inside my head. | text_2 |
It came from deep within my heart...... No, it came from my left arm......
[You are an abnormal being who possesses a Dragon within you. Don’t show such a miserable state. The “White guy” will laugh at you.] Are you that Dragon that appeared in that dream? Was that new power up because of you? [Yeah, that's what you desired, what I desired, and what the “White guy” desired. That’s why you went into a new phase.] Desire? What are you saying......? I mean who the heck is the “White guy”!? [He will appear before you sooner or later. Yeah, he and I are destined to fight. Oh yeah, by the way, it's about my power. I will teach you how to use its real power.] What are you saying? ......What on earth are you......? [Welsh-Dragon, Ddraig. Hyoudou Issei, I’m the one inside of your left arm.] Welsh-Dragon......Ddraig......
[Losing may be all right. If you don’t die, losing can become your strength. However, it only means something if you win the next fight. Lose then win. Then continue to win. If you do that, you will meet him.] So what’s going to happen between me and “him”......? [You will know soon enough. Get stronger for that coming day. I will give you my power any time you want. However, keep it in your mind that it will come with a sacrifice of something great. I will give you something that is worth the sacrifice. You can show it to those who laughed at you. The existence of a “Dragon” that is.] When I wake up, there is a familiar ceiling above me. ——It’s my room. ……Why am I here? I try to remember desperately of what happened. ……I was supposed to be having a match. The [Rating Game] between Buchou and Raiser. The stage was the replica of the school I go to. Our base was the old school building, and I was running through the battlefield along with Kiba and Koneko-chan, aiming towards the enemy’s base which was the new school building. Koneko-chan fell, Kiba fell, Akeno-san fell, and then——. Then I got my mind straight. What happened to Buchou!? The match!? The outcome!? Did we defeat Raiser!? Why—am I here? When I got my upper body up. “It looks like you are awake.”
The woman next to me speaks to me. The silver haired maid, Grayfia-san. “Grayfia-san! The match? What happened to Buchou! ?”
“Raiser-sama won the match. Rias-ojousama resigned.”
——! I-It can’t be…… I got speechless. I don’t know what to say. Did I lose? Was I beaten by Raiser? ——Shameful. I’m such a shameful and useless guy……
I acted so big and I couldn’t do anything and went down right in front of Buchou……
I’m weak…… Why am I so weak……? Even Asia could have continued to live as a human if I was a bit stronger back then. Even for Buchou, if I could have used my Sacred Gear even more effectively, it wouldn’t have ended like this……
I can’t stop myself from crying. Even if Grayfia-san is next to me, I didn’t stop myself from crying. I’m so frustrated. I feel so shameful at myself. I’m so weak. And I’m so pathetic……
“Currently, the engagement party for Ojou-sama and Raiser-sama is taking place. It’s at the assembly hall in the Underworld that was prepared by the House of Gremory.”
“……Where are Kiba and the others?”
“They went to escort Ojou-sama. The only ones who aren’t at the hall who are related to them are Issei-sama and Asia-sama.”
Asia? So Asia didn’t go. “Due to Rias-sama’s wish, Asia-sama stayed here with me taking care of you, Issei-sama. She went downstairs to get a new towel for you.”
I see. So Buchou left Asia by my side for me……
Looks like I made her worry about me. Buchou…… Engagement…… It’s probably the middle of the party right now……
“……Can’t you come to agree with this?”
That’s how Grayfia-san asked me. “Yes. Even if the battle is over, I can’t come to accept it.”
“You do know that Rias-ojousama obeyed the family’s decision?”
“I understand that! I know that! Even so I—”
I can’t agree with something Buchou is against! I don’t want to see Buchou who has to obey her parents against her will! That bastard! I don’t want to hand Buchou to a bastard like that! I understand it. This is jealousy. I’m feeling really jealous towards that bastard as a same guy! I don’t want to hand over Buchou to someone like him! “Fufufu.”
Suddenly, Grayfia-san laughs quietly. It’s my first time seeing her smile. She always seems cold and calm......
“You are a very interesting person. For a long time I have seen many Devils, however it is my first time seeing someone like you who shows what you are thinking with your face, and acts accordingly to what you believes in. My master, Sirzechs-sama, was watching your effort in the battle from another place and said that you were “interesting” you know?”
Seriously? Maou-sama thinks about me like that? If Buchou’s brother who is also the king of Devils calls me “interesting”, I don’t know how to respond to that. Grayfia-san takes out a single paper. There is a magic-circle written on it. “This magic-circle allows you teleport to the hall of the engagement party of the House of Gremory and House of Phoenix.”
——! W-Why does she have something me this!? “I have a message from Sirzechs-sama for you.”
She pauses for a second, and then speaks with a serious face. “[If you want to save my sister, barge into the hall]. That’s what he said. There is also another magic-circle on the back of the paper. Please use it when you take back Ojou-sama. I am definitely sure that it will be useful to you. ”
…………
I don’t know how to respond. Grayfia-san leaves the paper with magic-circle in my hand, and she then stands up and tries to leave my room. “When you were sleeping, I felt a very enormous power within you, Issei-sama. The Dragon is the only being that didn’t form an alliance with either God, the Devils, or the Fallen Angels. If it’s that dreadful power, then—”
Grayfia-san stops there and left my room. I’m left alone in my room. ……There’s no need to think about it. I got up from my bed and I went to find something to wear. I then found the new uniform on my table. ……So the old one got torn and damaged that badly in that battle. Did someone prepare this for me? Was it Grayfia-san? Or Buchou? Whoever it is, I thank you. It happens when I put my uniform on and grabbed the paper. The door opens, and Asia comes in. “——! Ise-san!”
As soon as Asia sees me, Asia drops the towel and bucket of water on the floor. She then jumps into my arms. Wow. Asia, what’s wrong……? I will feel embarrassed if you suddenly hug me like this. “Thank god. I’m so glad. You slept for two days even when your wounds healed…… I thought you were never going to open your eyes again…… Ise-san……”
Asia starts to cry in my arms. Oh man, I made her cry again. I try to calm her down while patting her head. More importantly, I was sleeping for two days……? So two days had passed since we lost the match huh. “Asia, listen to me. I’m going to Buchou’s side now.”
“!”
She seems very shocked at what I had just said. She seems to know what I’m about to do. “……It’s not……to celebrate it……yes?”
“Yeah, I’m going to take back Buchou. | text_2 |
It’s not a problem. I got my hands on a ticket to go to the hall.”
“I’m going too!”
Asia said it without a second thought. She has a serious face. Oh man……
“You can’t. You stay here Asia.”
“I don’t want to! I can fight along with you, Ise-san! I learned how to use my demonic-powers! I don’t want to just be protected any more!”
Asia grabs my hand. It feels like she is saying that she doesn’t want to be away from me. No, that’s what she must mean. “No. You will stay, Asia. I will bring Buchou back. You know, Boosted Gear expertise for something like this. It’s all right. I will beat up Raiser easily and—”
“It isn’t all right!”
Asia raises her voice. Her voice is mixed with her cries. There are tears that are coming out from her green irises, and she has a very sad face. “……You will get bloody, battered, and mushy again…… Are you going to go through all that pain again……? I don’t want to see Ise-san in that state ever again……”
I received critical injuries when I took Asia back from the Fallen Angel and the group of Stray Exorcists. I also got battered in the battle against Raiser. I probably would have died if I didn’t get healed by Asia. I can even imagine Asia crying while healing me. I will probably continue to make this girl go through sadness even from now on. I imagined a bit about the future like that. While putting on a big smile, I grabbed Asia’s hand. “I won’t die. Absolutely. I promise. Remember how I was alive when I saved you? That’s why I will be okay. I will not die. I will live, and will stay with you even from now on.”
Asia nods while wiping her tears. “……Then please promise me one more thing.”
“Promise?”
“Please definitely come back with Buchou-san.”
Asia says that to me with a smile. “Yeah, of course.”
When I answered her like that, Asia smiles really happily. Oh I remember now. There’s something I want to ask Asia. “Asia, the truth is—”
When I told Asia the circumstances I’m in, she agrees to it and went to her room to bring a certain thing. Now, the only thing left is…… I close my eyes, and talk within my heart. (Oi, come out if you can hear me. You are there, aren’t you? Welsh Dragon Ddraig! If you are there, I need to talk to you. Come out!) Shortly after I called out to him, a creepy laugh echoes within me. [Yeah, what is it brat? What business do you have with me?] SHINNNNNNNNNE……
I teleported to an unfamiliar place with the magic-circle Grayfia-san gave me. I thought that I couldn’t transport because I lack in demonic-power, however it seems like it worked, possibly because this magic-circle may be special. I look around the place I appeared in. It’s a very spacious corridor. On the wall there are rows of candles that is lined up till the end of the building. Oh, there is also a huge portrait of a man with crimson hair on the wall. Is it Buchou’s relative? Oh, I don’t have the time to be wasting here. I walk towards the direction where I can hear noises. Then there is a gigantic door that is opened. There are huge engravings on the door. ……Is it a model of some kind of mystical beast? Well, that isn’t important right now. When I looked inside from the door, there are lots of Devils who are dressed up and are having a good time. These kinds of things are similar to the high society parties of humans. Well, I had never been in one though. Somehow, I imagined it to be like this. I look at the Devils slowly to try and find familiar faces. However, it certainly is a spacious hall. Isn’t it bigger than the school field? The ceiling is really high up. The enormously gigantic chandelier is also amazing. So this is the hall people from Buchou’s household organised. Oh my, rich people sure are amazing. I want to get my peerage quickly and become someone important. When I was thinking something like that, a crimson colour appears to my eye. A woman who has her crimson hair tied up—. She is wearing a red dress. I knew it with a single glance. Of course. That’s because, she is the person I admire——. “Buchooooooooou! !”
By the time I realise it, I had called out to Buchou so loud that it echoes throughout the hall. It gathers the attention of the Devils around me, and Buchou also looks towards my way. That moment, I didn’t miss the glimpse of Buchou who opens her eyes wide and shed a single drop of tear. I also realise that she moves her lips saying “Ise”. The bastard Raiser, who is next to Buchou, also notices me. That jerk is trying to show off by wearing a fancy tuxedo! I then declare it after taking a big breath. “To all the High-class Devils here! And Buchou’s brother, Maou-sama! My name is Hyoudou Issei from Kuou Academy! I have arrived to take back Buchou, Rias Gremory-sama!”
The hall becomes even noisier. Without any care about them, I walk towards Buchou and Raiser. “Hey, you! Do you know where this——”
A person who seems to be a guard comes to stop me. However, there are those who comes in to stop the guards as well. “Ise-kun! Leave this to us!”
It’s Kiba. It’s Kiba who is wearing a white tuxedo. “……You are late.”
A small build girl who is wearing a dress comes in to stop the guards as well. “Ara ara, so you finally showed up.”
Akeno-san who is wearing an expensive looking kimono is also present. All of them are stopping those who are trying to get in my way. “Thank you.”
I thanked them quietly and went towards Raiser confidently. When I faced him upfront, I say it straight at him. “Buchou—Rias Gremory-sama’s virginity belongs to me! !”
“…………! !”
Raiser makes a face that you can’t explain with words. “What’s the meaning of this, Raiser?”
“Hey, Lady Rias. What’s the meaning of this?”
Relatives and authorised people are making unsettled faces and they are panicking. So the Devils, just like humans, gets confused when they face unexpected things huh. “It’s an event that I organised.”
That moment, a man with crimson-hair who was sitting at the far back walks towards us. It’s the person who was drawn in the portrait at the corridor. He seems to resemble Buchou……
“Oni-sama.”
Buchou called this man that. Wait, Oni-samaaaaaaaa!? T-Then this person is…… M,M,M,M,Maou Sirzechs Lucifer-sama!? “I wanted to see the power of the Dragon, so I asked Grayfia.”
“S-Sirzechs-sama!? You can’t do something irresponsible like this!”
I don’t know who’s relative he is, but a middle-aged man is panicking. “It should be fine. The [Rating Game] from last time was very entertaining. But it was a bit disadvantage for my little sister who had no game experience to face off against Raiser-kun who is a prodigy from the House of Phoenix.”
“……So Sirzechs-sama, you are saying that the last game wasn’t fair?”
“No, no, not at all. If a Maou such as myself says such thing, then I would be making the old nobles look bad. The connection between the High-class Devils is important after all.”
Maou-sama says it with a smile. From the way he spoke, is he aiding Buchou? “Then, Sirzechs. What do you want to do about it?”
A middle-aged man with crimson hair asks Maou-sama. | text_2 |
Crimson hair……is it Buchou’s father!? “Father. I want to make my cute little sister’s engagement party into a flashy one. Dragon versus Phoenix. Don’t you think it’s the ultimate event? To stir up the party by having a battle between legendary creatures. There aren’t any entertainment which can surpass this.”
Everyone in the hall becomes silent with Maou-sama’s words. Sirzechs-sama then looks at me. “Dragon user-kun. You have our permission. Raiser, can you show your power once more right in front of Rias and I?”
Hearing Maou-sama’s wish, Raiser makes a fearless smile. “Very well. There is no way I can decline if Sirzechs-sama asks me. This Raiser will show his last performance before getting married!”
……Looks like he is eager to do this. With this, the stage for the battle between us is set. Only thing left is for me to win! I’m raising my spirit, and Maou-sama asks me. “Dragon user-kun, what prize do you want when you win the match?”
“Sirzechs-sama! ?”
“What are you saying! ?”
The relatives starts criticising at Sirzechs-sama’s offer. However—. “He’s a Devil, so we need to give him something fitting for it since we are asking him to do something for us. Now then. I can give you anything. A peerage? Or the most beautiful woman?”
Maou-sama asks me while ignoring the voices of others around him. —! That is the best offer I can ask for. My dream lies in there. A peerage. And the most beautiful woman. With one word I can have either of it. However, I have already decided on what I will wish for. “I ask you to give me Rias Gremory-sama back.”
Maou-sama makes a very happy face when I answer him without any pause. “Very well. If you win, you may take Rias with you.”
With this conversation, it’s decided that the battle between Raiser and I will commence in this hall. “Thank you very much.”
I bow my head to Maou-sama who went back to the end of the hall. The centre of the hall was cleared in a hurry. The Devils in the hall are standing around the space, watching with keen eyes. The club members are sitting in the same place as Buchou. Maou-sama is also next to Buchou. On the other hand at the House of Phoenix side, their relatives, their servants, and Raiser’s sister are sitting there. And Raiser and I are confronting each other at the centre of the space. So this must be a Devil's ring then. I already have my Boosted Gear on my left arm. Raiser has a confident face. “Please start!”
The Devil male who is in charge of the battle gave a call for the start of the match. The battle starts! There’s no more turning back! Yeah, I just have to win! But before that happens! Raiser who has his fire wings out points at my gauntlet. “All of your ability is already cracked. A Sacred Gear that keeps on doubling the power of the user, the [Boosted Gear]. Also it seems like you gained a new ability that can transfer the multiplied power into an object or your allies.”
So he knows about the ability of [Boosted Gear Gift]. Yeah, I expected it. Also, “Gift” is a million times stronger if I fight with my allies. I make a big grin towards Buchou. “Buchou. I will finish it in 10 seconds.”
“……Ise?”
Buchou makes a doubtful face. It’s all right. I will show it to you now. “You sure talk big for saying that you will finish it in 10 seconds. Then I will finish you off in 5 seconds. It won’t be like last time, Rias’ [Pawn]!”
Raiser Phoenix! I’m going to crush you down with everything I got! “Buchou! Please allow me to use “Promotion” here!”
Buchou nods at my request. HEART BEAT. I heard the noise within me. This feeling is the approval from Buchou who is allowing me to use “Promotion”. “[Promotion]! [Queen]!”
I then promoted to the ultimate piece! I can feel the power that is coming from within me! The start of the battle will be the climax! Here’s the next one! Let’s go, Red Dragon Emperor! Let’s go, my Sacred Gear! “Buchou!”
I shout towards Buchou. “I don’t have talent for swords like Kiba! I’m not a genius like Akeno-san at using demonic-power! I don’t have a crazy strength like Koneko-chan, nor do I have a healing power like Asia! Even still, I will become the “Strongest Pawn”!”
I promise. I promise you Buchou! “For you, I will even beat God! With this Boosted Gear! My only weapon! I will make sure that I will protect you!”
I will definitely protect you and become stronger along with my comrades! “Shiiiiiine!! Over Boost! !”
[Welsh Dragon over booster!!!] The jewel in the gauntlet releases a red light. The red light shines throughout the entire hall. A deep crimson colour aura covers me. —This power. —Your power is flowing into me. [Yeah, use it. However, only for 10 seconds. Your body can’t endure more than that.] I know that, Red Dragon-san. I will settle it in 10 seconds! [That’s right. With 10 seconds you will—]
Yeah, if I have 10 seconds I can—. “We can take him down! !”
I leap forward while emitting a red aura. My body is equipped with a red armour. A plate-armour that has the motif of a Dragon. The whole armour has a sharp shape. The gauntlet I always have on my left arm also is equipped to my right arm. The jewel that was present on the gauntlet also appears on both my arms, shoulders, knees and the middle of the torso. On the back there is something like a rocket booster propulsion. “An armour!? You made the power of Sekiryuutei shape into a physical form! ?”
Raiser is shocked. His comment is acute. Well, I do look like a small red Dragon. Even my face is covered by the armour. “This is the power of the Emperor of Dragons! The Balance Breaker, [Boosted Gear Scale-mail]! —If you want to stop me, go and ask Maou-sama! After all, it seems like this is the “The Hated Forbidden Technique”!”
The scale-mail’s ability is to releases a destructive power for 10 seconds. Once released, I will be invincible for 10 seconds. However, there is a big risk. 10 seconds after unleashing this ability, I won’t be able to use my Sacred Gear for three days. That’s how the red Dragon—Ddraig, explained to me. So it’s a sink or swim invincible mode. [X]
The count starts. Since this is activated, there’s no time to spare! I will end this right away, Raiser Phoenix! I lift a little gap between my hands while bringing them close, and then created a mass of demonic-power between my hands. I shoot it towards Raiser right away. The demonic-power created from the palm of my hand got enormous and went towards Raiser! What an enormous amount of demonic-power! It’s so huge that it takes up about half the size of this hall. Even I, who shot it, is shocked! “It’s enormous!’
Since it was so big that it betrayed Raiser’s prediction, he chooses to evade it instead of taking it. —This is the chance! [IX]
The countdown has already started. I know. Don’t rush me! I jump towards the place where Raiser will possibly run to. The propeller located on the back of the armour releases a demonic-power. That instant, it releases an explosive speed! | text_2 |
Because of the G force, I can’t move my body, however it reduces the distance between me and Raiser. Since I’m coming towards the place he ran to in an insane speed, Raiser puts on a shocked face, and he makes a stance while not having any counter measure for it. I will attack here! Well that’s what I like to say, but without doing anything I—. CRAAAAASH! I crashed into the wall. Such a disappointment! That was a chance! When I crashed, I guarded with both my arms so I don’t have any damages. However, there is a huge hole in the wall. Wow amazing! Both my body and the armour aren’t damaged, despite crashing into the wall in that insane speed! With this hard armour, doesn’t it guarantee that my opponent will receive a critical damage if I simply crash into them with an insane speed? [VIII]
8 seconds left! I got up and shook off the fragments of the wall and confronted Raiser again. Raiser becomes more vigilant than before after seeing my attacks. His body starts to get covered in a rainbow colour aura. I can feel his enormous demonic-power with my skin. “Shitty Sekiryuutei brat! Sorry but I won’t hold back! I don’t want to admit it, but right now you are a monster! In front of your master, Rias, peeeeeerish!”
A giant pair of wings of fire appears on Raiser’s back who was howling. There’s a whirlwind of fire surrounding him and the hall is surrounded by an intense fire. It’s so strong that even the Devils who are within this hall starts to create a barrier to protect themselves. It must mean that there won’t be a bone left if you get hit by that. “Fire bird and Fenghuang! The hell fire of our clan that was praised as being that of a Phoenix! Taste it with your own body and turn into ashes!”
Raiser who is covered in flames rushes towards me really fast. There is an insane amount of flames right in front of me. The silhouette resembles a gigantic fire bird. The intense mass of fire that are created from his wings. Will it be bad if I touch it? [The fire of the immortal bird Phoenix can also leave a scratch on the scale of Dragons. It isn’t a good idea to continue being hit by at.] Is that so, Ddraig? But I can’t do that. That person is looking. I will stop that attack while Buchou is looking at me! “There’s no way that I will perish from a crappy fire like yours!”
I run towards him while shouting! The propeller on my back releases fires made up of demonic-power! HIT!! When both of our fists hit each other's face, it shakes the whole hall because of the impact created from our powers clashing. At the centre of the hall, Raiser and I started exchanging punches. Guu! I get struck by a heavy impact every time I get hit by his attack! Then a hot flame attacks me! It’s hot! Shit! It’s so freaking hot! The temperature of the flame I feel from Raiser’s fist. If I didn’t have this armour on, then it may not have left a bone for real. I’m scared! I want to leave here! I don’t want to die! The more fists I exchange with Raiser, the more I realised the difference between our actual powers. When I remove this armour, the power difference between Raiser and I will be that of an ant and an elephant. After all, I’m just a mere Lower-class Devil and he’s a High-class Devil. Maybe he realised I’m feeling scared, so Raiser smirks. “Are you scared!? Are you afraid of me!? Of course! You are merely a trash if you didn’t have a Boosted Gear! If you didn’t have that armour, then you would have perished before my fist reached you! That’s right! If you take that gauntlet off, then you have no value!”
He’s saying whatever he feels like! But he’s right! If you take this gauntlet away from me, then I will be nothing! [VII]
The serious battle between Devils. Fear struck my whole body. I don’t want to experience something scary like this! But! I pull out a certain thing that I was hiding in a section of my gauntlet. BANG!! My fist hit right into Raiser’s face with a cross-counter. Raiser bends back. “That won’t work on—”
Cough! There are a lot of blood coming out from Raiser’s mouth. My hit was critical against Raiser. Of course. After all, I am holding onto this with my hand. I open my hand, and show what I’m holding onto to Raiser! “A cross!? You have a cross! ?”
Raiser is shocked. I can even hear screams from the Devils inside this hall. That’s right, an item that Devils are weak against. The cross. I punched Raiser while holding onto it. It’s the thing I borrowed from Asia. I got it from her on my way here which I hid it away. [VI]
“I punched you while increasing the effect of the cross with my Sacred Gear. A holy attack that has increased drastically can even be used against High-class Devils. Even if you are the immortal bird Phoenix, you won’t be able to heal this attack that easily, right?”
“Absurd! Crosses bring intense suffering to Devils! Even if you wear a Dragon’s armour, touching it is absolutely foolish—.”
That instant, Raiser notices the change on my left arm for the first time. You won’t notice my left arm is only a section of the Dragon’s armour that is covering my whole body, but you will be able notice it if you take a good look at it. The difference between the whole armour that looks like it is made up of inorganic material, and my left arm that is continuously giving out a pulse. “……Did you give your……left arm to the Dragon residing in the gauntlet……? So that’s the reason for your insane powers……!”
“Yeah, that’s right. I gave my left arm in order to use this power for a temporary period. My left arm is the arm of an actual Dragon. That’s why a cross doesn’t work on me.”
Changing my left arm was the sacrifice needed to use Ddraig’s absolute powers. I gave my left arm so I could fight on par with Raiser. The gauntlet became a part of my left arm. “If you do that, then your left arm won’t return to normal! Do you know that! ?”
“What about it?”
[V]
The countdown is decreasing while we are talking about useless things. “Buchou will come back just with one arm of someone like me, you know? It’s a pretty cheap deal, don’t you think?”
Raiser's eyes changes after hearing what I just said. “You are crazy…… So that’s why you can hit punches without any hesitation…… You are scary. I have become scared of you for real, for the first time. And for that!”
Both of Raiser’s wings turns into a bigger flame. “I’m going to beat you with everything I have!”
Fire bird—. He rushes towards me while the surroundings are engulfed by fire. I won’t lose! I will not lose! [IV]
“Uoooooooooooooooo!”
I put all my power to the cross I’m holding on to! One hit! I will put everything I have into this cross! Raiser’s fist! And my fist! They crash against each other! FLASH! The clash between two incredible powers. A flash created from the collision blinds my eyes! I can also feel the sensation of the things I’m wearing disappears. The same feeling you have when you take your rain coat off when you get home on a rainy day. It’s similar to that. At the same time I can feel the heat that is surrounding my body. | text_2 |
It’s hot like crazy! Until before I didn’t feel anything hot like this! When I got my sight back I realised the change in me. –The armour is gone! The armour of a Red Dragon that was covering my whole body disappeared! Unprotected body. The only thing left is my left arm of a Dragon. My cross that seemed to have been knocked off during the previous attack is lying on the floor a bit away from me. Hey Dragon Emperor! What’s the meaning of this!? It hasn’t been 10 seconds yet! Why has the armour disappeared!? Wait, are you telling me the price I paid only let me use it this much!? [No. The price you paid to attain my power was enough. But your basic stats are too low to control my powers. You lack training.] ……Damn it! I trained that much with everyone and yet I’m lacking it!? [That was nothing compared to the long-life a Devil. A training of Devils means something if you train for dozens of years.] Ah, dammit! I don’t need things like that now!? Give me the armour one more time! What do I have to pay this time!? My eyes!? My legs!? I will give you anything!? [Using the second armour in this short time is impossible for you now.] ……Is that because I am weak……? Shit, why do I look so uncool at crucial times……? That was the only thing someone useless like me could do! [The moment the power of the armour disappeared, I transferred a bit of the power to the jewel. You can overwhelm Raiser Phoenix for a short time, but that’s it. To beat those from Phoenix clan—.] I have to beat him down hundreds of times or eliminate him with absolute power. [Yeah. Sadly, you won’t be able to beat him many times with the current power of the gauntlet. Even the multiplied power is far from close to the “absolute power”. You don’t have either of the two.] GRIP! I was grabbed strongly by my collar. –It’s Raiser. I got lifted up from the ground while having my neck choked. Raiser chokes me strongly while smirking. It’s painful……
“I praise you for doing this well for a [Pawn]. You really did well. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to do this well. The power of the Dragon user, I was able to taste that with my own body. If you had a year, no six months for you to get used to your Dragon's power I would have lost.”
……He doesn’t seem to be joking. He has a serious face. If it’s only six months……then wait for the marriage for another six months! That’s what I want to say. Raiser’s clothes and body are worn. Like I thought, even for Raiser who had a very high regeneration ability, the rate to heal the damage from holy attacks is taking long. His wings of fire are smaller than before. So he received quite a lot of damage from me……
“There’s nothing you should feel ashamed about. I will train you after I become Rias’ groom. You will become a strong Devil.”
Shut up! That’s none of your business! “Now, it’s about time I put you to sleep. You will lose consciousness for a short while. By the time you wake up, the ceremony would have finished safely. You don’t want to suffer any more than this, right? I’m not a sadist, so I will end this right away.”
Raiser puts on a face that he has confirmed his victory. I’m going to lose? No, that will be unforgivable. — Please definitely come back with Buchou-san. Yeah I know Asia. —First of all, aim to become the strongest [Pawn]. Yes, I know Buchou! Let’s go home together. Akeno-san, Kiba, Koneko-chan, Asia, and I are all waiting for your return! That’s why—. I take out a small object from my pocket. “To extinguish fire you need water, right! ?”
The thing I’m holding on to is a small bottle that contains holy water. This was the other thing I prepared before I came here. An item that doesn’t have that much effect against High-class Devils. If the Devils here in the hall sees this, then they will have just laughed with their nose. However, Raiser’s face turns pale. That’s right. What do I possess in my left arm? What ability does my left arm have? Answer me, Raiser Phoenix! “Damn it!”
Raiser’s hand that is choking me becomes even stronger. Ku, my throat is about to get crushed……but before that! I open the lid and sprinkled the holy water on Raiser. I then multiplied the effect of the holy water! To the level that the High-class Devils can’t ignore! “Boosted Gear Gift!”
[Transfer!!] The multiplied power flows from my gauntlet to the holy water on Raiser’s body. “Cra—.”
It was too late by the time Raiser realised my attack. The transferred power multiplied the effects of the holy water on Raiser’s body. BOIL! The sound of the water vaporising from fire echoes throughout the whole hall. Raiser’s wings of fire starts to look weird because he can’t maintain its form. The holy water burns Raiser’s body insanely. There is smoke coming out of his whole body. I got out from his grip and take my distance while holding onto my throat. Man, he choked me really hard! “Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Raiser starts to writhe with the effect of the holy water. “……Is he going to die?”
[No, even if the effect of the holy water has increased, it won’t be simple to kill someone from the Phoenix clan.] Is that right, Ddraig? [However, the effect of the holy water extinguishes a lot of their stamina and their force of will. Even if it’s a Phoenix who can come back to life from ashes, losing a great amount of stamina and force of will is— He won’t be able to recover his emotional strength right away.] SMOKE……
The smoke that is coming out from Raiser’s body weakens. What’s left is Raiser who has a worn out body and clothes. I pick up the cross from the ground with my Dragon arm. I hold it tight and put my power in it. I also sprinkled the second holy water I was hiding on my hand. “Asia told me this. That Devils are weak against the cross and the holy water. So increasing the ability of both of them at the same time would give enormous damage to Devils, right?”
“Ku……”
Raiser who is suffering from the effect of the holy water makes a scared face after seeing my next move. I look around Raiser and his surroundings. There is nothing except Raiser. Yeah, there’s no problem. “Kiba told me this. To widen my line of sight and look towards the enemy and its surroundings.”
I gather all of the demonic-power in my body at one point. I then changed it to a Dragon's power, and transfer it to the holy water and cross. [Transfer!!] With this, the holy attack gained incredible powers. “Akeno-san told me this. To gather the demonic-power that flows throughout your whole body. To concentrate and feel the wave of the demonic-power. Yeah, even an idiot like me can feel it, Akeno-san.”
I then changed my stance so I can hit my opponent. “Koneko-chan told me this. When you hit someone, aim at the middle of the body and nail it deep into their body accurately!”
They were all the things I learned from the training. Yeah everyone. I remembered them all. They all became useful. I’m going to take back Buchou with the power of everyone! When I aimed my fist at Raiser, he starts to panic. “H-Hold on! | text_2 |
Do you even know what you are doing!? This engagement is important and necessary for the future of Devils! It’s not something a Devil brat like you can butt into!”
“I don’t know anything complicated. But there’s something I remember vaguely when I lost against you and became unconscious. –Buchou was crying. She was crying! And she was also crying before! That reason is enough for me to beat the shit out of you—!”
BANG!! My fist that has the cross and the effects of the holy water nails deeply and accurately into his stomach! “Gahaa!”
Raiser takes a few steps backwards while coughing blood. “For me to lose like this……”
He said that and falls on the ground. He doesn’t stand up after that. I glance at Raiser who doesn’t seem to show any movements and then I walk towards Buchou. Then someone gets in my way. Its Raiser’s sister. She glares at me silently and seems like she wants to complain to me. I point my Dragon arm towards her and then say,
“If you have a complaint, then come to me. I will take you on any time!”
Raiser’s sister backs down because of my intensity and makes a path for me. I went past Raiser’s sister and stand in front of Buchou. I say it to her while smiling. “Buchou, let’s go home.”
“……Ise.”
I then look at the person next to Buchou. It’s a dandy man with crimson hair. It’s Buchou’s father. I walk in front of him and bow my head down. Then I say it clearly. “I will take back Buchou, Rias Gremory-sama. I’m very sorry for my actions. But I will be taking Buchou with me.”
Buchou’s father doesn’t say anything and closes his eyes. Maou-sama who is supposed to be sitting next to him isn’t there and is gone. I want to thank him…… I will, the next time I see him—. I take Buchou’s hand. I then take out the magic-circle that Grayfia-san gave me. I think she told me to use the magic-circle on the other side of the teleporting one after I retrieve Buchou……
When I turn the paper around, there’s a glow. SHIIIIINE! What appears from the magic-circle is a four legged beast with wings that I can’t even tell whether it’s a lion or an eagle
“Griffon……”
I heard someone in the hall saying that. Oh, so this guy is called Griffon. So is Grayfia-san telling me to escape from here by riding this? ROAR! Griffon makes a roar and then starts to move towards the hole I made earlier. I say it to Kiba and the others before I left. “I’ll be waiting at the club room!”
With my words, everyone waves their hands at me with a smile. And the Griffon flies up to the sky of the Underworld while carrying me and Buchou. “Lord Phoenix. I’m very sorry that this engagement turned out like this. I know it’s rude but this engagement—.”
“You don’t have to say any more, Lord Gremory. It was a good engagement for pure Devils, but it looks like we both had too much greed. Both of us already have pure Devil grandchildren. Maybe it’s the greed as Devils that made us crave for it. Or is it because we saw hell in the last war.”
“......No, I also forced my greed onto my daughter.”
“His name was Hyoudou-kun, correct? I wanted to thank him. What my son lacked was defeat. He overestimated the ability of our clan. This will also be a good lesson for my son. Phoenix is not absolute. Just learning that was enough for this engagement, Lord Gremory.”
“Lord Phoenix......”
“Your daughter has a good servant. Looks like the Underworld won’t be bored in the future.”
“......But, I never would have thought that my daughter would pick it up.”
“——Welsh Dragon. I couldn’t believe that that loathsome existence actually came to our side until I saw it.”
“Then the next will be—.”
“Yes, it must be. No, perhaps it already exists.”
“Vanishing Dragon——. It’s a matter of time until the red meets the white.”
Unlike the sky of the humans' world, the colour of the Underworld’s sky is purple. It looks creepy, but it mysteriously gives me a sense of security. Is it because I'm a Devil? TOUCH
Buchou’s hand touches my cheek while I was looking at the sky. “You dummy.”
She says it with a bitter smile. Buchou seems to have a relieved expression. It seems like she was finally released from something painful. “——!”
Buchou becomes speechless when she sees my left arm. She is touching my left arm with a sorrowful face. That may be the appropriate reaction. My left is covered with red scales, and it became so abnormal that it has sharp claws coming out of it. “Your arm—. So you gave your arm to the Dragon as a price to borrow that power right?”
“Yes. It was a good deal. Someone like me with no talent and who has nothing was able to get the ultimate power just with my left arm! Thanks to that I was able to defeat Raiser and get Buchou back!”
I put on a smiling face, but Buchou narrows her eyes and looks even more sad. “You know that this left arm won’t turn back to normal any more, don't you?”
“Ah, that’s a bit of a problem. A cosplay item! Oh, that won’t work at school. Oh my, what should I do?”
“Asia will definitely cry if she finds this out.”
......Ugh, she will definitely cry. I have been continuing to make that girl cry......
“......You may have broken this engagement. But a new engagement might be brought in, you know? If you keep on doing this......”
I give my answer with a smile to Buchou who is putting on a sad expression. “Then I will give my right arm as a price next time. Then my eyes if another one comes in. I will keep on saving Buchou. That’s the only thing I can do. But I will definitely come and save you. That’s because I am Rias Gremory’s [Pawn].”
——! Right after I said that, my lips got blocked. The thing that is blocking my lips is——. Buchou put her hands around my neck and put her lips on top of mine. It's not something that happened for an instant. —— A Kiss. It wasn’t a deep kiss where we tangled our tongues, but I can feel her feelings from this soft kiss. Her soft lips and the smell of her crimson hair froze my brain. After about a minute we overlapped our lips, Buchou’s lips left mine. Then Buchou laughs. ............ K-Kissssss!? I! I-I just had a kiss with Buchou! Kiss! Kissssss!! Then my brain explodes! Wow, wow, wow, woooooooooooow! “My first kiss. It’s something that girls treasure in Japan, right?”
“Eh? Y-Yes, it certainly is! Huh!? Your first kissssss! ?”
I'm really surprised! T-That's because a first kiss is really important to girls! “A-Are you okay with it!? T-That it was me?”
“You did something that’s worth having a kiss with me. It’s a reward.”
She says it while smiling at me. Aaaaaah, I feel as if something is going to happen to me! It was worth the effort just for this kiss! “Speaking of first kiss, do you really want my virginity that much?”
“I do! Ah!”
I answered her straight away. Man, I’m too honest with my greed...... But that's my true feeling. Of course I want it! I even craved for it in front of the whole crowd! “......Geez, you really are honest with these kinds of things.”
Buchou seems to have a troubled expression, but she is smiling. Umm, I’m sorry for being honest with these kinds of things. | text_2 |
Buchou starts to pat my cheek while I was apologising inside my head. Buchou just laughs happily. I'm so glad. I'm really glad that Buchou is smiling again. “So, like how I just explained, I, Rias Gremory, will also be living in this house. I might be inexperienced but please take care of me, Otou-sama, Okaa-sama.”
At the living room of Hyoudou residence. A crimson hair beauty next to me is greeting my parents. And there was another beauty with blonde hair next to me with teary eyes and unpleasant face. She seems to be in a very bad mood. After that incident, Buchou suddenly said she would live with me. I can’t understand what she meant, but she mostly forced herself to make this happen. She did say, “I want to strengthen the relationship with my servant”, but is she really okay if it's my house? I may not be able to understand how High-class Devils think. And, like that, the engagement thing between the house of Gremory and the house of Phoenix was cancelled. Buchou is also happy, so it's a happy ending. That bastard Raiser went into a slump after experiencing his first defeat of his life. “Oh, what should I do? Asia-chan and Rias-san, so I will be having two daughters now.”
My mum, after living with Asia, started to adore Asia like her own daughter so she was okay with another girl coming in. My dad on the other hand is crying hard. “Yup, yup. It’s a guy's dream after all. I mean, to have lots of girls! You may be able to fulfil the dream I had when I was young!”
Oh, I see. I am this person’s son after all. I can’t believe that he also had the same dream as me. And the crucial left arm of mine on the other hand—. It's still an arm of a dragon. But thanks to Buchou and Akeno-san researching seriously about dragons, it reverted back to a human's arm in everyday life. Apparently, by decreasing the aura of the dragon, you can stop it from dragonifying. I have to do something every few days to reduce my dragon's powers. If I don’t, it will revert back to a dragon’s arm. Well, I was able to get Buchou back. Like I thought, it certainly was a cheap deal. Though the way to reduce the dragon’s power is a quite erotic. Gufufu, I never thought Buchou and Akeno-san will do those kind of thing for me...... In other words, having this arm is a good thing. Ddraig became silent after that. Even if I talk to him, he won’t talk back. There are so many things I want to ask him...... The “White guy”— the thing Ddraig was talking about. Apparently that thing is coming for me. I don’t know what that thing is, but first, I need to do something about this situation. “Now, Ise. We have your parents’ permission. With this I am a member of this family. So can you take my luggage to my room right away promptly?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Ise-san, I will help as well.”
Asia follows behind me. “......Auu, looks like there’s only hope for polygamy...... ......But, but......it will be against the teachings of God......but, but at this rate......hauu......”
“Huh? What was that about the polygamy?”
“It’s nothing.”
When I ask her, she looks in the other direction. Hmmm, she seems to be in a bad mood ever since Buchou came here...... Did Asia hate Buchou? “Here, Ise. That will go over there.”
She starts to order me around as soon as I brought the luggage into her room. “Yes!”
“Ise, I want to take a bath after this...... Yeah, I will wash your back for you.”
“Are you serious! ?”
Ooooooh! I want her to wash my back everydaaaaaay! “Geez! If you are having a bath together, then so will I! Ise-san and Buchou-san! Please don’t leave me out of this!”
Asia starts to complain with teary eyes. Asia, you can't! You can’t compete with Buchou! It will become even more stimulating! “Asia. I’m sorry, but this is how it is. Is it all right if this is a proclamation of war?”
“Uuu, I don’t want to lose, but it seems like I will lose!”
Somehow, I think there are sparks between the two......
Just like Buchou, and just like Asia......I really can’t understand how girls think! Is it even possible for me to have a harem at this rate? However, there’s one thing I know. It looks like my everyday life will be getting even livelier. | text_2 |
Italy, somewhere. The youth was visiting the vineyard of a particular farm in a remote area of Italy. While walking forwards, the youth — Holy Spear wielder Cao Cao, entered the view of an old man who was working on the farm. The old man’s farm clothes and straw hat suited him very well, and he also had an impressive build. At first glance from afar, one would think that the old man had previously served in the military or had some kind of athletic training. However, this old man wasn’t just any ordinary kind. Although the old man had detected Cao Cao’s presence a while ago, he opened his mouth to speak without even looking in his direction. “Holy relic, this is the first time I’ve encountered such an aura.”
The old man wore a gentle smile on his wrinkled face. “BuongiornoHoly Spear wielder, welcome to this farm.”
The old man wearing a hat greeted him — no, it should be the Vatican’s Cardinal Priest Vasco Strada. Just the other day, he was a major person of the Church who led many of the rebellious Church warriors. Defeated in battle against the anti-terrorist group [DxD], he accepted the judgement of Heaven without any resistance. Having reported everything without a lie to Heaven, this old Cardinal was now held in this farm. There was even a strong barrier which had been erected around a radius of several kilometres of the farm. It would not be an easy nor simple task to escape; this was a so-called prison barrier. For God, and for the faith that he devoted most of his life to; in his attempt to realise the feelings of the Church warriors, the former wielder of Durandal was stripped of his position, and confined within what could be called a rather relaxed prison. Indeed guilty, judging from the scale of the incident which he brought on, not only should he have been stripped of his position, it was also possible that he would have had to use his life as punishment for his crimes. —However, considering his past achievements, beliefs, and the pleas of many of the Church’s warriors, he was eventually sent to this farm. “This is the land where I originally grew up. Sometimes, I used to come here to plant trees…it looks like I’ll have to earnestly work hard here in the future.”
Strada said as he stroked the bark of a tree. “This is the first time we’ve met, Your Eminence. I’m Indra’s vanguard.”
The wielder of the Holy Spear introduced himself and Strada then spoke while he used a towel to wipe the sweat off his face. “I see, a Pagan Godwants to ask this old man something, isn’t that right?”
The old Cardinal thought that Cao Cao’s visit was because Indra had a message for him. But, Cao Cao shook his head. “No, you don’t seem to think that I can also come to visit solely on a personal basis.”
Hearing Cao Cao’s words, Strada laughed with fascination. “…Hoho, this is truly quite unexpected. —Well then, after coming all the way to such a remote place, what did you want to ask me?”
Cao Cao, hearing Strada’s question, opened his mouth to reply but was silent for a moment, before finally asking
“……Being a hero, what do you think of it, Your Eminence?”
Perhaps because it exceeded his initial expectations of a question, Strada was initially surprised, but then rubbed his chin as he thought. “…Hmm, this really is a strange question, young man.”
Cao Cao looked down and continued
“…I was born as the inheritor of a certain hero’s blood. On top of that, I was chosen by the Holy Spear. I used to believe that…these so-called [Heroes] were at the zenith of humanity, being able to defeat powerful otherworldly existences, I so wished, so thought, and so lived.”
He raised his head to look up at the sky, and then said
“…But, I lost to a certain young reincarnated Devil. My way of life was completely taken away from me right in front of my eyes by him. …Perhaps he never considered it, but that defeat became my opportunity to review and change my way of life. … Your Eminence who is admired by people as a hero, I certainly want you to tell me what a hero is.”
For the one who not only inherited the blood of a hero, yet by chance also the Holy Spear, being born as a genius, this was the first time that he had encountered a ‘wall’. He naturally inherited his ancestor’s lineage when he was born, and by fate, he wielded the strongest spear which could even defeat a God. Originally, he was an existence incompatible with humans — hunting the occult, defeating the occult, punishing the occult, as a way of life, and pursuing strength as a reason to exist. —But in front of the Red Dragon and the White Dragon, even the spear which he held in his hand denied him. You’re weak, you’re just a kid who obtained the power of the strongest spear, that was said. Hearing Cao Cao’s question, Strada smiled. “…Hehehe”
Towards the surprised Cao Cao, the old holy man said
“This is simply disrespectful. —But, you’re too young. You are simply too young. Although you look about twenty years old, compared to me, you’re no different from a little baby. Ever since you called yourself a hero, you’ve been mistaken.”
Strada asserted. “—Those who determine heroes are the people without power. Because they do not possess power, they will yearn for power, and so they will seek heroes, and decide who heroes are. Wielder of the Holy Spear, are you playing the role of the people’s Hero?”
“……Well”
Cao Cao was speechless. …He was not chosen by anyone. Simply because he was descended from one, he thought that it should be so. It should be so, which was why he took for granted the blood which flowed through his veins, and the spear which he possessed. Strada bent down and sat on a wooden box which was placed in the farm then continued
“Not pursued by the people, claiming to be a hero or something, that’s nothing but a child’s game of pretence. Precisely because of this, you’re no match for the Sekiryuutei kid who courageously walks his own path.”
The old man’s words completely denied the existence of the Hero Faction itself. It was just as he said, and Cao Cao was unable to refute it. …That’s right, it was just as Strada said, him, that man, courageously faced me head on, and bravely defeated me. Whether it was as the Sekiryuutei, or as a Devil, for his own goals, for the people he protected, he courageously fought with everything he had.My existence had been denied, and I was even defeated by him—. …Looking at myself now, what would the people who once followed and admired me think? Strada was silent for a while, then faced Cao Cao and said
“You’re just a mere human. And just a young man at that. Your ancestors may have been heroes —in fact, your ancestors were but ordinary humans. Thus you are still a human. Don’t these so-called heroes praise those who advance forward courageously?”
…The Sekiryuutei as well, the citizens of the Underworld began to respect him because he always charged straight towards the front. Did he ever think of becoming a hero from the beginning? Of course, the answer was — no. | text_20 |
The old Cardinal smiled as he said
“Although I was called a hero, even at this age I don’t consider myself to be a hero. —But as long as there are people who look up to me, I will continue to be called a hero. I am simply a human. I live like any other human, and I will die like any other human. That is enough. If people respected me as a hero, then that’s fine.”
For a moment, the old man’s figure and the Sekiryuutei seemed to overlap. …I was afraid that he would say that. The old man laughed
“Hehehe”
as he put on his hat and stood up. “Ah, I’m old now, so I speak long-windedly…. Originally, you already had a vague idea of this answer.”
“…That might have been so. Ever since I lost to him, I—”
Without thinking about this concept of a ‘so-called hero’, he became an ordinary challenger. “Your Eminence, am I able to defeat that man?”
The youth who used to pretend being a hero then asked. The old man smiled as he eloquently said
“—Go and love something. Whether it be yourself. Or even something intangible. Love, if you don’t have a heart which loves something, then you won’t be able to reach someone who has love. The object that you love will appear in front of you, and at that time, you will — have ‘power’ within your body.”
After Strada said that, he returned to his farming work. “First, you should continue to chase that Sekiryuutei kid. Because he is at the mercy of love, he lives with love. Compared to these old bones, you’re of a similar age to him yet his presence is more than ten thousand times that of yours.”
The Sekiryuutei Hyoudou Issei who lives because of love— Because of those words, Cao Cao recalled the previous times when he encountered Hyoudou Issei in his mind. …That’s right, not only was that man loved by others, he loved others, which was why he fought against me face to face. That was the foundation of the Sekiryuutei, Hyoudou Issei—. Cao Cao smiled as he looked at his spear. “Will the you that is remembered by this spear also pursue that ‘love’?”
The [DxD] team was currently gathered in the VIP room which was in the upper level of the Hyoudou residence. I — Hyoudou Issei, the Gremory household that I belonged to, the Sitris, [Brave Saints], Azazel-sensei, and other members were all firmly focused on the video which was projected onto the screen in front of us. Shown on the screen were the Underworld’s TV channels, all of which were news programs, the text at the bottom of the screen read things like:
[Sudden accident in the Rating Game!?] [Champion Belial has disappeared during the middle of the match!] [Phoenix family’s third son, eldest daughter and Champion have disappeared together!] ……That’s right, the information that Sona-zenkaichou received was the same as that which was displayed on the bottom of the screen right now; something had happened in the match between Raiser and Champion Belial. During the match, in a corner of the arena which was a blind spot for the camera — the two people had continued their fight in a dome shaped cavern. Raiser, the Champion and Ravel who was also present had all suddenly disappeared. After we learned of this news, we once again confirmed the information. We then watched the video recording of the game. Indeed, after they entered a cave which was not captured by a camera, something which we could not see occurred, and the three of them had simply vanished. Only by looking at the recording from outside the cave, it may have been related to a blue light which was emitted from the entrance of the cave. It was determined that the light came from inside the cave. There was still no news about the three people who had disappeared. Taking into account the current situation, the game managers, the Underworld’s government, army and police force had all begun to take action. …To stop my body from trembling, I was clenching my fists. ……Ravel! Raiser! My precious kohai, and manager Ravel. She had agreed to support me in my path to achieving my ambitions… …Raiser as well; after his trauma, it was finally his comeback match. He had once given up, but he had now stood up once again with a reignited passion. He was obviously looking forward to the match with the Champion more than anyone else… Having noticed the anger, sadness and anxiety in my heart, Rias wrapped her hand around my fist. Rias asked Azazel-sensei
“So, the whereabouts of Raiser, Ravel and the Champion Diehauser Belial-sama are all unknown right?”
Sensei raised his index finger and said
“Firstly, what can be confirmed is that before the three people disappeared, the game system’s emergency program was triggered.”
—Hmm! ……The game system’s emergency program? What was that? I had never heard of it before. Aside from Rias and Sona-zenkaichou, some people knew about it, but all the other members were the same as me and had clueless expressions. After Sona-zenkaichou saw our reactions, she began to explain. “Originally, in order to respond to any kinds of situations, there was a corresponding set of procedures for professional Rating Games. For example, if the location of the match was destroyed more than was expected, then they would initiate a procedure to repair it.”
…That is to say, these emergency procedures were designed to respond to events and situations which went beyond what was expected. That was what happened in the match between Raiser and the Champion. “So what happened?”
After Rias asked that, I went forward to ask sensei
“Is it possible that Qlippoth attacked the match! ?”
“That aspect is currently being investigated, but one thing which is certain is — there is a high possibility that there was improper conduct during the game.”
“—What! ?”
Hearing this, everyone was just as surprised as I was! Improper conduct; which meant that something illegal happened in the game!? “That’s prohibited! Could it be the Champion! ?”
I couldn’t help blurting out that I thought it was the Champion. I didn’t think at all that Raiser and Ravel could have improper conduct. But, sensei undauntedly answered me with a serious expression
“……The managers believes that it’s the opposite.”
…Raiser had improper conduct? No, that wasn’t possible! That man, although very arrogant, as a noble he had a lot of pride, and didn’t think much. But, he was absolutely honest towards this Rating Game. At the very least, I could understand that attitude. He also had Ravel with him. It was impossible for such a thing to happen. She was my precious manager. She had promised that she would do a lot of great things in the future with me. An outstanding girl like her couldn’t possibly have improper conduct, it was impossible for her to have some conspiracy plan. After Rias realised my thoughts, she gripped my hand even tighter. “Ise, I understand. You and I are the same. …For Raiser to have improper conduct, that’s impossible. It wasn’t easy for him to get over things and stand up again. | text_20 |
And he also has Ravel by his side, those siblings would definitely not allow improper conduct.”
“Well, then it really is the Champion Belial…right?”
Kiba softly said as he used his hand to support his chin. He had an expression which couldn’t be read. Although Kiba couldn’t match up to Rias, he still knew more than me about Rating Games. Especially for the Champion, his familiarity and knowledge would be even greater. Kiba had seen quite a few of his matches. Kiba had said before that his games were very honest, his tactics were well refined, and that he preferred winning fairly over a surprise attack. Just as his name suggested, he was a true champion. …Whether it was Raiser or The Emperor Belial, it was hard to believe that either side would engage in improper conduct… Towards this emergency situation and the unknown safety of the Phoenix siblings, I was both confused and uneasy. Then, Akeno-san calmly asked Azazel-sensei
“…Azazel-sensei, don’t you have any ideas about this?”
Everyone’s gaze was directed towards sensei. “Is that true?”
Hearing my question, sensei raised his hands and sighed. “…I can’t say it. But, if it’s really as I think, the Phoenix siblings whose whereabouts are unknown shouldn’t be as bad as its being imagined. I’m really sorry that I can’t say any more right now, but if you believe in what I’ve said, then believe that those two are safe.”
—What! Really!? Raiser and Ravel are both safe!? Sensei really did have an idea about this situation! I didn’t say it to sensei… Azazel-sensei, he’s dealt with all sorts of situations up till now that he’s not only been able to cope with, but also handle well. If even this sensei said so, then there was no reason not to believe it…. A small communication magic circle appeared beside Rias’s ear. After listening to the report which came through, Rias told everyone
“It was from onii-sama. The Maou’s side are beginning to search for the whereabouts of Raiser, Ravel and Emperor Belial.”
To be honest, I really wanted to rush out immediately to look for Ravel. But, even the Devils’ side was moving out, sensei also said that they were safe, so I would just be causing trouble for everyone if I rushed out there…if I allowed my emotions to dictate my actions…the enemy might just be waiting for that. Because the enemy that I was going up against was just like that—. As I was unable to reach an important mediator or opponent, I could only grind my teeth, with my right fist pushing heavily against my left hand. …Raiser, Ravel, Ravel! Rias placed her hand on my shoulder and said with a melancholic tone
“…Ise, it’s painful right now, but we need to believe in onii-sama and Azazel.”
After a deep breath, I nodded in response. Raiser, Ravel…please, you must be safe. Morning, a few days later— …Although the weather was perfectly fine, my mood still hadn’t gotten better. I had gotten up early, but I hadn’t been able to sleep well since that day because I was worried about Ravel’s safety. It wasn’t just me; it also applied for my nakama. I hadn’t slept well last night, and was rather gloomy during breakfast. …Perhaps because Rias and Asia slept together with me, they also found it difficult to fall asleep as there was no news, so we discussed various pointless things. At breakfast, it was just like usual with my parents at the table, along with Kuroka and Ophis. Because our expressions were different from usual, there was no dialogue across the table… While silently eating breakfast, kaa-san sighed and then said to me
“Ise! Tomorrow is the three-way interview isn’t it? Do you understand?”
…I see, it was that. Tomorrow was the three-way career interview. “…Yeah, I know.”
—That was the only reply I could give. Kaa-san replied to me with a hint of astonishment. “Really, you could be more enthusiastic with your answer. Tomorrow is the three-way interview to discuss your future isn’t it? I was just asking whether you actually understand that.”
Kaa-san smiled as she said to Asia
“Asia-chan, I will also go.”
“Yes, thank you, okaa-san.”
Asia faced kaa-san as she gently smiled. “Really, unlike you, Asia-chan is so lovely…I really can’t understand boys of your age.”
Tou-san folded his newspaper and calmly said to me
“Ise, for a man, a career is very important. Tomorrow, you need to be more enthusiastic to discuss this together with kaa-san and your sensei.”
These parents were somewhat long-winded. I nonchalantly responded ‘yes yes’ as I ate. My parents had broken the silence, and Xenovia also began speaking
“Career consultations huh. If it’s from my side, it should be Sister Griselda…although she’s quite busy, that’s to be expected.”
Irina had also turned her head to discuss the career consultations
“For me…both papa and mama are overseas, so I should be the same as Xenovia, also having Sister Griselda come…”
Is Sister Griselda responsible for everyone under the care of the Church? Well, Irina’s parents were in England, so they wouldn’t be able to make it in time. Rossweisse-san followed
“Although I’m not the sensei for your class, I will help you prepare some information. Anyway, a career is very important. Discussing this with your parents while using your own ability to choose your career path is very important.”
Hm, there is weight to what Rossweisse-san said. When she was a Valkyrie, not only did she have talent, she was also a genius when it came to magic. While she was in charge of looking after that jisan Odin, she didn’t have a chance to display her abilities. But now, her talent has finally produced results. Her age wasn’t too far off from mine yet Rossweisse-san had experienced many things… Kaa-san faced Rias and Akeno-san as she said
“Rias-san and Akeno-san are both waiting for their graduation. Their career paths have already been determined, so they can take it easy until spring.”
“That would be great if it were the case, but there is a need for preparation, so we can’t be carefree and relaxed.”
“Ufufu, that’s because we’ll be blossoming female university students.”
Kaa-san smiled in response to Rias and Akeno-san. “Yes, that is also true. You’ll be university students. It won’t be the same as high school, so preparation is quite important.”
University life huh, I can’t yet imagine it. By this time next year, will I be able to understand? “What about you Koneko? Who will be coming to the three-way interview?”
Xenovia asked Koneko-chan. “…For me”
Before she could finish, Kuroka interjected
“I will go ~♪? Because I’m her aneki.”
“…Although I said that you don’t have to come, from the looks of it, you seem enthusiastic.”
Koneko-chan sighed with her eyes half open. “That’s so cold, really Shirone. Don’t worry and leave it to me. I’ll just tempt them with something like ‘I really appreciate my family’s child which is in your care ~♪’? The records document will be done just like that.”
“…My class homeroom teacher is a woman.”
Koneko-chan stared as she replied. | text_20 |
“Ara ara, this is really a headache nyan.”
Although she said that, Kuroka’s expression seemed troubled as she put a piece of tamagoyakiinto her mouth. Rias sighed after seeing the responses from all the current students. “Although you all have different thoughts, a career consultation is also very important. Why don’t you let Akeno and I who can attend school freely take care of other things; you guys should properly think about your school life and future, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
We replied in unison to Rias, who was both our elder and upperclassman. …Career counselling huh. …The figure of Ravel who promised that we would work hard together flashed through my mind…. If I remained like this, my mind wouldn’t be very stable. Now was the time to believe in Sirzechs-sama, Azazel-sensei and Rias. I shook my head and said “another bowl!” as I extended my bowl towards kaa-san. While I was at the door putting on my shoes as I prepared to leave for school, Kuroka suddenly came over to ask me
“You’re worried about Birdy-chan, right?”
Birdy-chan — that was Ravel. That was what Kuroka called Ravel. “Of course. I can’t wait to go find her now, but…”
“What the former governor said makes you believe that she’s safe right? Since it’s that former governor, isn’t it better to just honestly believe in him?”
Interrupting me, Kuroka said that. This person, I didn’t think that she’d really believe Azazel-sensei. So that’s why she was acting like she usually does at breakfast. …No, perhaps it was inherent for her to continue living like this without anything changing. Kuroka said to Koneko-chan who had finished putting on her shoes next to me
“Shirone, although you’re worried about Birdy-chan, occasionally trusting adults is fine isn’t it?”
“…Occasionally, I can’t trust onee-sama.”
Kuroka laughed at her imouto’s comment. “Nya haha, really, ‘occasionally’ you can’t trust me.”
Kuroka’s expression was really gentle. Talking with her little sister, day-to-day life, she was completely enjoying it. This person would probably be the happiest one among us right now. It was because she was able to live together again like this with her precious imouto that she had separated with. “Kuroka-san, I’m ready.”
Le Fay stood beside Kuroka as she reported in. Kuroka said
“Le Fay and I will use our own way to look for Birdy-chan. I’m also worried about her right now. So—”
Kuroka hugged Koneko-chan and I as she continued
“You guys should worry about your school life. If you don’t take your career consultation seriously, Birdy-chan will get angry right?”
—Mn. …I never thought that Kuroka would say such thoughtful words. Even Koneko-chan’s eyes were slightly moist. Yes, it was just like Kuroka said. If we don’t take our career consultation seriously, Ravel would definitely be angry when she returns. Although that manager was very cute, she was also very strict. “Ah, you don’t need to say it for me to know.”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Kuroka smiled as she looked at Koneko-chan and I. Even while we were worried about Ravel’s safety, the days went by. The next day after school— Today was the arranged day for the three-way career consultation. Students took turns according to their student number, and they simply waited at the school before that. The people who had club activities would continue with their club activities until it was time to begin. That was why we were gathered in the club room of the old school building waiting for our turn. For now, the parents of each of the members would gather in the old school building, and wait together with their children until it was their turn. Rias and Akeno-san were graduate students, so they hadn’t come, and were still looking for information about Ravel. …We were also eager to help out, but since we were told to concentrate on our career consultation, we had no choice but to wait. While we were chatting amongst ourselves, the first to appear in front of us was—
“Hello everyone. Yaa, Irina-chan.”
It was actually Irina’s otou-san!? Was this for real!? He actually rushed over all the way from England!? Even as his daughter, Irina was quite surprised. “Papa!? How did you get here! ?”
Irina exclaimed. From the looks of it, he didn’t contact her beforehand and just suddenly came over. …Since you came over, you should explain it to your own daughter. Doesn’t this also surprise you? Irina’s otou-san laughed heartily. “Isn’t this to be expected? This is my cute daughter’s future career consultation isn’t it? As a father, of course I have to skip work and rush over.”
“Really papa, Michael-sama will get angry you know! ?”
Irina puffed out her cheeks as she got angry…but Michael-sama wouldn’t get angry over a little thing like this. Towards his angry daughter, Irina’s otou-san laughed heartily as he pretended not to notice. “I give up, of course it was a joke. Something just came up in Japan so I rushed over. No, however, my Angel daughter looks so cute when she’s angry.”
Irina’s papa really never changes. We smiled as we looked on at that father and daughter pair. Suddenly, Irina’s otou-san came over to me and whispered
(“By the way, Issei-kun”)
(“Hmm, yes?”)
Irina’s otou-san suddenly asked me with a dirty look
(“That…did you use it? How did it go?”)
—What the hell! That, he’s almost certainly talking about that room! The room that Heaven developed to allow Angels to do ecchi things with other races without worries in it! All that was needed was to mount the special doorknob onto the door, and you would be able to enter this mysterious room. This was the room that Michael-san personally instructed to be made; I really can’t understand what Heaven is thinking! (“Th-That, I…how should I say it…”)
I didn’t know how to reply! Hold on, in reality, the only ones who used it were Irina and Xenovia which just made me embarrassed…if they normally invited me, it’s the place that I’d want to dive into. But, those two girls replace the doorknob when I plan to use the bathroom, and when I come back exhausted from my devil’s job and want to return to my own room, they run over and pull me in. They simply never consider the situation and keep giving me surprises! At such times I could only say things like ‘let’s just go into that room separately now…’ But I didn’t! Not at all! I really wanted to tell them that their timing was too weird! Well, I even if I said that I wanted to, the other girls would also see it, so I really hope that they don’t come without thinking about the trouble! Basically, for Irina (+ Xenovia) who can’t read the mood at all, they’re too obsessed with that item. Most recently, Akeno-san and Kuroka borrowed it to use. …Anyway, please just let me use the bathroom. (“I’m looking forward to my grandchildren.”)
What! Irina’s otou-san pat my back as he said so…he actually said ‘grandchildren’ all of a sudden! He’s really similar to my parents. So that’s why he often talks with my parents. Sure enough, like attracts like, and people gather together like that. | text_20 |
“Hold on, papa, what are you saying to Ise-kun?”
Irina seemed rather concerned about the whispered conversation between her otou-san and I. Originally, that should’ve been a secret from daughter, but this ossan triumphantly announced it out loud. “Hahaha, I was just asking about the situation with that room!”
Hearing him say that, Irina face suddenly blushed! “—Mmm! R-Really. Papa, please don’t talk about that topic in front of your daughter and her childhood friend!”
Irina became even angrier, but her otou-san —
“Irina-chan is also cute when she gets angry.”
Not caring at all, he continued to laugh cheerfully. …Ah, I really can’t cope with this otou-san every time. —While I was thinking about this, it seemed like Xenovia was enjoying herself as she watched this. “Fufufu, that side of Irina really never changes.”
Due to the affairs of the Student Council, Xenovia came to the clubroom a lot less often. Because today was the career consultation, she had finished her business with the Student Council early, and waited for her turn in the clubroom. “Speaking of you Xenovia, is Griselda-san coming?”
After hearing my question, Xenovia nodded. “Ah, originally that was the case, but she’s rather busy, so today it’s just one person today—”
“One person? What are you talking about? Hello, Xenovia.”
Eh, the person who opened the door and walked in was Griselda-san! Xenovia, who thought that she wasn’t coming was astounded. “S-S-Si-Sister Griselda! …Y-You came.”
Hearing Xenovia’s surprised tone of voice, Griselda-san sighed as she said
“Of course. Your guardian is me. So, we can finally confirm the content of the three-way interview when we go over there.”
She said that as she grabbed Xenovia’s hand and pulled her over to one side. “I-I don’t need any confirmation. My future career path has already been confirmed.”
“That future that you’ve decided on is ‘most likely sketchy’ and rough. Listen to me, and come with me to go over it again.”
With this kind of oppressive force, even if it’s Xenovia—
“Uh, I’m no match for Sister…”
She gave in. The two of them sat on the sofa as they reconfirmed the things which would be discussed with the teacher. In front of their guardians, Irina and Xenovia both showed expressions which were rarely seen, it was rather refreshing. For the other members… It was kaa-san for Asia and I, Koneko-chan had Kuroka as her guardian, so who would be coming for Kiba and Gasper? “Hey, Kiba, Gasper, who’s coming for you guys?”
“The Gremory family sends someone over every year for me, there are servants who would look somewhat related to me. I think Gasper is the same as me?s”
Kiba asked Gasper, and Gya-suke answered with ‘yes’. Ah — so that’s how it is. The Gremory family has a lot of servants, so if they looked closely, there should be people who look similar in appearance to Kiba or Gya-suke. “By the way, how is Tosca-san?”
Recently, Kiba had reunited with his former comrade who had survived — Tosca-san, so I asked about her current condition. Tosca-san would occasionally come over to the Hyoudou household to learn about Japan from Rias, Asia, as well as Koneko-chan. “Mn, thanks for taking care of her. Although she was someone related to the Church, for day-to-day life, she’s been taken care of by Rias, Koneko-chan, Xenovia and Irina-san. Surprisingly, Kiba and Asia introduced her to Kiryuu, who also became good friends with her. I heard that she taught Tosca-san a lot of things but…so that Tosca-san doesn’t become a perverted girl, I’ll have to keep an eye on her. “For Valerie and Tosca-san to get along with each other, that also makes me feel at ease.”
Gya-suke added. I see, she’s also able to get along well with Valerie, so that’s good; it was better than anything that she was able to live peacefully in this town together with her new nakama. Knock knock, someone knocked on the door. “…Umm, is this the right place?”
The person who appeared in the club room was kaa-san. Asia and I became a little uneasy—. During the time that they were waiting, kaa-san and Irina’s otou-san began a conversation between parents with a congenial atmosphere; Irina and I were both embarrassed about them! It was finally my turn for the three-way interview. Asia had already finished her interview before me. Sitting inside the classroom were just three people, my homeroom teacher, kaa-san and I. Since high school started, I always felt that such interviews were difficult. I was the type of student that didn’t want to be present at these interviews. After all, the two adults who were usually the most complicated (parent and homeroom teacher) were facing each other as I sat in between them—. Even kaa-san had done up her makeup to come to school. At a time when boys my age couldn’t stand it, I definitely didn’t want my classmates or friends to see this! Within the silent classroom, kaa-san and I sat side by side, and after we greeted sensei who was sitting opposite us, we began to discuss my attitude at school and academic performance. Then, five minutes later, it finally came to the main topic of the interview, as we began to discuss my career. My homeroom teacher said
“Hyoudou-kun’s desired progression is to study at Kuoh Academy University after graduation.”
“Yes.”
I replied. That’s right, first I have to go to university, and since I could enter the Kuoh Academy University, I’d naturally want to continue on with the escalator systeminto university. …There were also students who wanted to enter other universities, but there wasn’t a particular university that I was aiming for. Kuoh Academy University’s evaluation was very good, so I planned to continue my education there. Asia, Xenovia, Irina, Kiba ( + Kiryuu, Matsuda, Motohama) also had a similar opinion to me. In other words, even if we did go to university, we would be together. Those younger than me were also thinking of the same thing; they hoped to be together again in university after two years with Rias and Akeno-san who would graduate before us. It would be nice to set up an [Occult Research Club] at the university. After the teacher thought that there were no problems with my plans for progression, she asked me again
“Hyoudou-kun, have you decided about what comes afterwards? Have you discussed with your okaa-san?”
Hearing this question, kaa-san placed her hand on her cheek as she looked slightly perplexed. “…No, my husband and I have not—”
Ah — yes…. Although I said that I had to go to university, I didn’t talk about what came afterwards. I said to sensei and kaa-san as I scratched my cheek with a finger
“Oh, that…at the moment I plan to work under Rias…buchou, senpai, no, Rias Gremory-senpai’s otou-san…”
What should I say on this occasion? I couldn’t say that it was a Devil job, so it should be fine to say one of the Gremory family’s companies, right? After all, not only in the Underworld, but even in the human world the Gremory family had a lot of companies. | text_20 |
“Senpai’s otou-san owns a lot of companies, and I plan to find work there after graduating from university.”
As I said this, sensei seemed to become more interested. “Gremory-san’s? Ah, Hyoudou-kun is indeed a member of the Occult Research Club.”
My teacher then went ‘Oh, I see’ as they nodded. Originally, Rias was one of the school’s celebrities, the school itself had a connection to the Gremory family. The Gremory name simply had to be mentioned, and the class teachers would then agree. “Come to think of it, Gremory-san and Argento-san are both living with Hyoudou-kun’s family. So, Gremory-san’s parents have spoken to you, Hyoudou-kun, and have discussed this matter with you?”
Kaa-san answered
“Eh, that’s right. Gremory-san has visited a few times, and has even helped us renovate our house…our family is really indebted to Gremory-san.”
That’s true, our family really has been taken care of by them. That kind of a large-scale transformation, as well as the work following it; we were truly grateful for it… Sensei asked further
“So to say, that’s the reason why Hyoudou-kun plans to work at one of Gremory-san’s companies? Have you spoken with Gremory-san about that before?”
“Ah, yes. Presumably, oyago-sanknows about it.”
I replied…he should probably be aware of it. As a member of Rias’s peerage, he should more or less accept me. Also, when we went to the Underworld during our summer vacation, he did mention that peerage members could obtain their own territory. Kaa-san asked beside me
“Certainly, I remember that they operate travel agencies and hotels in various countries right? In Japan; Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and other large cities have hotel chains owned by them. Ah yes, they’re also involved in the film industry. That’s just what I’ve heard from Rias-san.”
“Ka-Kaa-san, that’s rather detailed.”
They do indeed have a hotel in Kyoto…and their business in the film industry is related to me. After kaa-san listened to me, she continued
“Remember, in the first trimester, wasn’t there a classroom observation? At that time, didn’t her otou-san and onii-san come over to our house?”
Ah — such a thing did happen. It was at the end of the first trimester. The classroom topic became clay moulding. After the classroom observation, Rias’s otou-san and Sirzechs-sama met with my parents and began talking, coming over to my house afterwards. “Well, at that time, did Rias…senpai’s oyago-san say anything?”
“Eh, he did. ‘I hope that in the future you’ll be able to entrust your son to us’ he said. For us, that was an impossible request…well, what do you really plan to do? We haven’t properly asked you what you think, but we do hope that you’ll have a good think about it.”
Kaa-san asked me, as if trying to confirm my reply. I see, so that’s what the Gremory side said. It’s a given that I’ll continue as a member of the Rias’s peerage, and I do also want to thank the Gremory family for their care. The House of Gremory truly are the best high-class Devils! Although we’re grateful for the kindness of the Gremory family, my parents still wanted to confirm what my intentions were and respect me, I really am thankful to them…. Tou-san and kaa-san both thought that I might choose another path. …I really don’t want to let my parents worry. Besides, I’m still — still hiding my true identity from them. I nodded, and said to kaa-san and sensei
“Well, that’s right. After graduation from university, I’ll work at senpai’s otou-san’s company. But, I have other dreams…I want to become independent from the Gremory’s companies in the future…and set up a company on my own.”
Yes, my further dreams are — to become independent from Rias, have my own peerage, and have my own career as a Devil while I participate in the Rating Games! Besides, I’ll almost live forever, so if my dreams and ambitions aren’t achieved, then it won’t be worth the effort; that’s what the older Devils said to me before! With higher aims, even more dreams and desires could be achieved! I revealed my thoughts to them on the spot. …Of course, I disguised everything that was related to Devils. “It might be a subsidiary company of the Gremory family, but even so, I want to start a company by relying on myself. I want to establish a company following my own ideas. Establishing it in this town would be nice, or establishing it in senpai’s home country would also be fine.”
Using Kuoh Town as a starting point would be alright. At that time, I don’t know what I’d do if my territory overlapped with Rias’s territory. At that time, it would probably be best if we clearly discuss it. Just then, I revealed all of my thoughts and ideas…kaa-san beside me was somewhat surprised. “You actually considered that much?”
Although I said that, she didn’t seem to believe me, and her expression showed that it was completely unexpected. “Ah, well, I suppose. After all, it is my own future, so I should at least have thought about it to this degree.”
Although that was what I said…. About that, I haven’t spoken to my parents about that matter, so they would be surprised. Even if they didn’t look at me that way, I still had dreams. Although being a harem king is my top dream, I couldn’t possibly have said that! Kaa-san would definitely have hit my head, and that would’ve given my sensei quite a shock. My homeroom teacher said with a smile to kaa-san
“Okaa-san, your son, Issei-kun is unexpectedly popular in class you know? Especially with transfer students from overseas; Argento-san, Shidou-san, and Quarta-san are often under his care. I also see that all the time. This isn’t an easy thing. If you want to know more about the popular foreign cultures in the school, then you can just ask Issei-kun; that’s what we say even between teachers.”
…My reputation within the school was never very good, there was basically never any praise. Recently, my reputation with the girls seems to have improved. Kiba…has also been telling the girls good things about me. The way that they’ve been looking at me has changed little by little. Indeed, people should have friends like these! If it was Matsuda and Motohama, they wouldn’t be able to do such things! That handsome guy really is amazing. Kiba! Thank you so much! —While I was thinking about that, sensei, who just praised me, sighed helplessly. “It’s just that, a little too much perversion has become a problem. There have been complaints by female students…”
“I’m really sorry! I’m really sorry! Come on, Ise! You also need to apologise!”
Really kaa-san, she immediately pressed my head down and apologised as soon as she heard this. Uh — since she said that, I had no choice but to apologise! “I’m sorry for being too perverted!”
I’m really sorry about being of this age! In this way, with shame, hot-blooded passion, and finally an apology, the three-way interview concluded. But, my dreams of the future — also included processing ahead together with Asia, Xenovia and Ravel. So, Ravel…. You definitely need to be safe. At dinner that night—
“Kakakaka! | text_20 |
It’s been a long time since I could drink like this!”
At the dinner table, tou-san was gleefully drinking sake. Tou-san, who heard from kaa-san about the contents of the three-way interview, was impressed by the future that I spoke of. He was delighted, yet at the same time, he was also crying. “Oh! That Ise, that son of mine who only has a strong libido! I didn’t expect that he’d actually considered that kind of a future…”
Tou-san’s sakanawas actually me. It was really quite shameful. All the girls smiled slightly from the side as they watched tou-san… After kaa-san heard what tou-san said, she also fervently said
“Really, I was also quite surprised by it. When I heard that Gremory-san planned to let Ise work at one of his companies after graduation from university, I was over the moon. But Ise, you actually considered so much…right now, I’m so moved that I want to cry.”
Aahhh, she really began to wipe tears from the corner of her eyes! With these two people in my family, I’m going to die of embarrassment. Please quickly stop! “…It’s really not such a big deal, nowadays, high school students can consider their own future early on.”
—Although I said that in order to cover up my embarrassment, tou-san and kaa-san were even happier. Tou-san then raised his cup up as he said to kaa-san
“No matter what, today is a day to celebrate with sake! Kaa-san, bring me that expensive bottle of sake that Sirzechs-san gave me just a while ago!”
“Yes, yes, I know. Really, you’re not like an adult at all.”
Kaa-san got up to get the sake from the kitchen. Ah — ah, really, those two people. My situation doesn’t have to keep getting repeated. I know the reason…it’s just something that I said at the time. Sitting beside me, Rias said
“Ise, you need to tell your parents about the future.”
“Eh? Well, just let it be. I want to say it at the most suitable time.”
Ever since I had reincarnated as a Devil, I’d encountered all sorts of situations, so I could never find the right time to tell them. But this future goal was only because I had reincarnated as a Devil, and was completely different from what I had in mind last year. Last year, I just vaguely thought ‘For the time being, I’ll just go to university first’. My parents were also aware of that. Rossweisse-san also said to me with a serious look
“This cannot do. You need to properly speak to your family about your future. If you don’t properly explain it to them, they might not be able to understand, and it may even get out of hand. You didn’t clearly talk about your future in second year with your family, so your family and teachers at school went through a lot of trouble, Ise-kun.”
Those were words which really suited a teacher…. But I had nothing to say. What Rossweisse-san said was correct. Although I constantly encountered things after I reincarnated, I talked to my family less than I did before…. After hearing what Rossweisse-san said, led by Xenovia, everyone else agreed. “As expected of a teacher of Kuoh Academy.”
Koneko-chan also nodded
“…Although she sometimes forgets her position, she really is a teacher.”
Yeah, truly, she is a teacher. After her cheeks were gradually dyed red, Rossweisse-san lightly coughed to clear her throat and then continued
“Everyone present here will be working in one of the Gremory family’s companies after their graduation from university, right? Even among us teaching staff, we refer to you guys as the [Gremory prospective members].”
Eh — so that’s what we’re called. [Gremory prospective members] huh. The majority of people here belonged to that, and it was just Irina who was associated with the Church that wasn’t. “By the way, are there also [Sitri prospective members]?”
—Rias asked. Ah, the members of the Sitri peerage. Sona-zenkaichou is also the daughter of a wealthy person, and the teachers also knew that. While we were discussing information about the school, otou-san cried as he held Rias’s hand, while he bowed his head and said
“Not only Ise, even Asia-chan has received an invitation from your family’s company, Gremory-san. The future of my family’s two children is really bright! I really can’t thank the Gremory family enough. Thank you so much, Rias-san!”
Aaaahhh, he put his arm around Rias after he got drunk. Ah, I really couldn’t stop him in time! Although Rias was startled, she immediately calmed down and smiled as she said
“No, for us, we just want to ensure that we have these valuable human resources early. On this basis, whether it’s Ise or Asia, my chichi and ani both think that will be valuable in the future.”
“Uooh, I’m really so grateful, for you to say this, I’m even more relieved!”
“For Ise to be picked up by Rias-san, our family’s future is really too fortunate.”
Rias’s words caused my parents to shed tears of joy. Asia who was part of that seemed to be at a loss for words, and I could only embarrassingly cover my face with my hands. … Well, if the next time I tell them about the future is something like this, their reaction would certainly be much greater. Next time, I definitely need to talk to them periodically, otherwise I really won’t be able to stand outbursts like this. We children have our own thoughts. After I briefly said that, I continued having dinner with everyone. After the dinner that was full of embarrassment, everyone went back to doing their own things at night. There was still no update on Ravel; after I killed some time in the living room after taking a shower, I went up to the second floor. …In the corridor of the second floor was an extremely large cardboard box. “…What’s going on with this cardboard box? Who was it, and why is it here?”
I moved a little bit closer to it…could it be that Gasper was inside? Only he would go in there. But why was he hiding near my room then? I felt that it was rather odd, so I opened the box to take a look —
“…”
Inside I saw a girl with blonde hair. Sitting inside in a triangular shape was — Valerie! After her red eyes noticed me, she laughed lightly. “Ah, hello.”
“V-Va-Vaalerriee—!”
The corridor echoed with my wail of surprise. Of course! A cardboard box stood there in the corridor quite naturally. I thought that Gasper was inside, and didn’t expect to see Valerie as soon as I looked inside! “Yes, it’s me.”
After saying that, she immediately stood up and steeped out of the cardboard box. Some time ago, as a reward for suppressing the uprising of the Church’s warriors, we obtained a fragment of the genuine Holy Grail from a powerful figure within the Church. After turning it into a necklace, Azazel-sensei gave it to her. That way, it could be said that we successfully helped her to regain consciousness. Perhaps because she was a half-vampire, after regaining her consciousness, she was immediately able to get out of bed and walk around…but no matter what, she still needed to be careful, so her actions were limited. …But, I really didn’t expect that she’d come to my house, and also that she’d show up in the form of a cardboard box. | text_20 |
“W-Why were you in that cardboard box…”
She had just regained consciousness, so her movement wasn’t very good, which is why I asked her. I was worried about Valerie, but she replied back with a smile
“I was imitating Gasper. Gasper only needs to get into a cardboard box to calm down, so I also wanted to try it.”
…I-I see. Just what kind of cultural knowledge did she learn after awakening to Japanese culture for the first time! No, it can’t be certain that Valerie asked Gasper about this herself. “…Ah, whatever. So, how is your body?”
I sighed as I asked her. Valerie monotonously replied to me with a lazy tone
“It’s okay, thanks to the care. Thanks to transportation magic circles, I can come over to your house for a bit. Today, I came over together with Gasper.”
Also, it would be quite strenuous for her if she came directly over by walking. Getting around using transportation magic circles was somewhat better. Speaking of which, Gya-suke also came over. “Gasper is currently together with Koneko-san preparing notes for Ravel-san. I didn’t want to disturb them so I came out to visit here.”
Valerie said. So Gasper was actually with Koneko-chan writing notes for Ravel-san who was absent from school… He really was a good kohai who did things for the sake of his friends. Suddenly, Valerie stared in a certain direction of the corridor, with her head turned sideways as she said
“Come to think of it, I can’t hear the voices of ‘everyone’…. It’s really strange.”
—Hm….‘Everyone’ referred to the side effect that came with the Holy Grail that dwelled within her. She could see the people wandering about in the otherworld. She was even able to communicate with them. Sensei originally said that this was impossible. And if she continued to do so, her mind would be damaged. When we saw Valerie before, because she had too much contact with people from the other side, it had caused her mind to become damaged. But the current Valerie no longer used the Holy Grail which dwelled within her body, and she also had a necklace which was made from the real Holy Grail, so she looked much better than she did when we saw her in Romania. I didn’t want to pursue the topic further, so I changed the topic as I asked her with a smile
“If there’s anything inconvenient for you in your everyday life, just say so, and everyone will help you.”
“…Eh, if you say so.”
Valerie raised a finger and pressed it against her chin as she began thinking—. “There doesn’t seem to be anything. —If I’m able to be together with Gasper, then I won’t be lonely.”
…I see, as long as she has Gya-suke she won’t be lonely. Those two people were finally able to live together in peace. It wasn’t easy for her to awaken from her deep sleep, so it simply wouldn’t do if they didn’t live together happily. Valerie placed both her hands together as if praying and said to me
“Also, for everyone to stay by my side, I’m really happy, it’s almost as if it’s a dream…”
To say that, it made me really happy. Precisely because we had gone to the country of the Tepes’ faction to fight before. Yeah, it wouldn’t do if we didn’t spend each day happily together with Valerie! We also hoped for a friendly and peaceful life— Suddenly, the thought of Ravel’s unknown safety flashed across my mind again. I felt a bit lonely. Noticing this, Valerie said to me
“Ravel Phoenix-san”
Valerie looked up at the ceiling and continued
“Ravel-san and her onii-sama Raiser-san, probably, are still alive. I think you will meet them again soon.”
Where did she see that, and how did she notice it? Valerie seemed to have felt something as she said that. “…Why do you think so?”
Valerie, having heard my question, made a puzzled expression. “…Although I can’t really find the words to say it, I just know…”
…I see, if someone else said that, there wouldn’t be much credibility, but since it was Valerie who had the Holy Grail that her life depended on within her body, it was a lot more credible. “Thank you. How should I say it, I feel like you’ve saved me a little.”
I thanked Valerie. To be honest, I was still worried. But these words of Valerie gave me the feeling of being saved. Valerie continued to smile. “In fact…I should be the one thanking you. —For Gasper and me to be together again, I’m really grateful, thank you.”
Valerie Tepes showed me a bright smile. “Ah — Valerie! This is where you were! You can’t run out of Koneko-chan’s room! Your body hasn’t fully recovered!”
Frantically running down the stairs was Gasper. From the looks of it, when he noticed that Valerie had disappeared from the room he anxiously went to search for her. For Gasper, as long as it had something to do with Valerie, he would become panic-stricken, he didn’t have the temperament of a boy at all. “It’s not a good time to move around, you need to stay close to me.”
“Ufufu, Gasper is really strict.”
Look at that. Gasper was quite reliable. After getting a girl that they need to protect, boys will continue to grow stronger. Looking at these two, my heart felt like it was healed. Then, as Valerie said, her prediction came true. At noon the next day— The members of [DxD] were urgently called to the clubroom of the Occult Research Club. Azazel-sensei looked at all of us as he said
“There is definite news.”
“Well, well then, sensei!” I stepped forward to ask, and sensei replied
“—Both Raiser Phoenix and Ravel are safe. They also have no serious issues.”
—What …I was speechless. Silently, tears flowed out from my eyes. The uneasiness in my heart had finally settled down. My mood finally lightened up. Looking around, my nakama who were also worried about Ravel sighed, feeling at ease. “Koneko-chan, Ravel, she’s safe! That’s wonderful!”
“Mn! That’s great! Gya-kun! Thank goodness! —It really had us worried to death, baka Ravel! Big idiot…!”
Koneko-chan and Gasper who were together with her in first year both cried. After waiting for us to settle down a bit, sensei added
“The one who ensured their safety was — Maou Ajuka Beelzebub.”
It’s just been one thing after the other. That night— After hearing Azazel-sensei’s report, the members of [DxD] dispersed first. The day after tomorrow, in order to bring back the siblings Raiser and Ravel Phoenix, they would meet the previously mentioned Maou Ajuka Beelzebub first. After bathing in the large underground bath with Asia, Rias began talking as they walked back up the stairs. “It really is great that Ravel-san and Raiser-san are safe.”
Asia felt at ease as she placed her hand over her chest. Asia, who was worried not just about Ravel, but Raiser as well, said that for Rias, she was a cute imouto. Rias smiled as she replied
“Eh, it truly is good. Although I really trust onii-sama and Azazel, I still felt that something may have happened to them, but my fears actually turned out to be false.”
Yes, if by chance that it was true…. There was no such thing as certainty in this world. Rias also understood this principle. | text_20 |
In the fight against the Hero faction, Rias’s most beloved person — Hyoudou Issei had lost his body. If she recalled the events at the time, it could be considered a miracle that he survived. Originally, even if he died, that would have been understandable. However, something like that happened again. It could have been possible for Raiser and Ravel to have ended up in the worst possible outcome. So when they found out that they were safe, they truly felt happy from the bottom of their hearts. After all, in regards to Raiser, she wanted to defeat him in a professional Rating Game. As for Ravel, as Ise’s excellent manager, she had complete faith in her. If he didn’t have Ravel, Ise also wouldn’t be able to forge ahead smoothly to realise his dreams and ambitions. Just how did those two people end up with Maou Ajuka Beelzebub? This news was currently confidential, and only a small number of people knew about it, not even all of the high-class Devils knew about it. And there was one thing that prompted further attention. —The whereabouts of Champion Diehauser Belial. Emperor Belial had obviously disappeared along with the Phoenix siblings. Why was there only news about the Phoenix siblings? Exactly where did Emperor Belial go? …The mystery still had not been solved. There still remained a shadow of unrest in Rias’s heart. She understood that this unrest probably pointed in a bad direction. When Cao Cao of the Hero Faction summoned Samael, when they went over to the Tepes Faction, there was always a feeling which couldn’t be expressed with words; in the end, the outcome was tragic every time. Precisely because of this, she had an ominous premonition. After walking up the stairs, in order to get some drinks from the refrigerator, Rias and Asia walked towards the living room. “Ara, if it isn’t Asia-chan and Rias-san.”
Ise’s haha-ue was fiddling with something on the table of the living room. “We just came out of the bath. If I may ask, what are you doing, haha-ue-sama?”
Rias and Asia moved closer to take a look out of curiosity —
“Well, the albums.”
Ise’s haha-ue then picked up and opened a book for Rias and Asia to see. “Wow, it’s a photo album.”
Ise’s haha-ue had actually laid the living room’s table full of photo albums, and displayed within them were Ise’s childhood photos. “Ah, that was Ise. I’ve also shown these to you before.”
They had seen them before in Ise’s room, before the incident where they were attacked by Kokabiel. At that time, they accidentally got too excited looking at them. Rias and Asia were both sitting down on the sofa, having each picked up an album to appreciate Ise’s childhood photos. Previously, they were too excited about it, and they didn’t even notice that each of the photo albums had different titles. They said things like [Issei, First OO]. “You’ve really recorded every little step of Ise growing up into these.”
Rias quietly said as she smiled softly. “…This is our only son. No matter what, for us, Ise is our cute child. Which is why I occasionally look at these childhood photos, at that time, he really was cute.”
The words of Ise’s haha-ue made both Rias and Asia feel it. —Ise is deeply loved by his parents. It could be felt not only from how his haha-ue was smiling right now and not only from the many photo albums she had; they could truly feel how deeply she loved and cared for Ise. Suddenly, Ise’s haha-ue’s hand stopped when she saw a certain photo. “Ah — this one.”
Both Rias and Asia’s gaze focused onto the photo that Ise’s haha-ue was pointing at. It was Ise in primary school. He was holding a fishing rod that was much bigger than himself as he stood there proudly. “This one…what about it?”
Rias asked Ise’s haha-ue. “This fishing rod was my husband’s favourite fishing rod back then. He was really interested in fishing. He also taught Ise. Although he hasn’t gone fishing recently, he would often go fishing with Ise by the river or sea when he was younger.”
…This was the first time that they had heard of this story. Ise actually went fishing. Although they knew that he ate the fish that he caught when he was training… Ise’s haha-ue continued
“When he was young, Ise was influenced by his chichi and went fishing. But one day, he suddenly stopped fishing.”
“What happened?”
Towards Asia’s question, Ise’s haha-ue gave a wry smile. “The fishing rod in the photo was broken by Ise.”
What Ise’s haha-ue said was — a bad memory of Ise’s childhood. “While they were fishing by the sea, Ise took advantage of the fact that his otou-san was taking a break, so he took his otou-san’s fishing rod to go fishing without permission. Ise, he really looked forward to using otou-san’s fishing rod, he wanted to use that fishing rod to catch a large fish so that he would be praised…but in the end, he didn’t use it the right way and broke it. His otou-san was upset, and Ise apologised as he was crying, and at that time it was quite troublesome.”
…Every child would have had this kind of experience when they were young. Rias herself caused trouble when she was young so that she could obtain her parent’s praise, but eventually got in big trouble. Her childhood memories suddenly flashed by, and she couldn’t believe that she used to be like that. Ise’s haha-ue had a slightly lonely expression as she said
“Otou-san simply told him to be careful so as not to let it happen again and forgave him. But Ise, he…never wanted to go fishing again after that time. Perhaps he never forgave himself. That’s what that child is like. If he made the other person sad, he himself would also feel sad, and he won’t let things go even after an apology.”
“…Ise-san being like that, how should I say it? I can more or less understand.”
Asia earnestly replied. …Indeed, Rias also agreed. He, Ise, was that kind of a person. Every time a tragedy occurred, even if it wasn’t his fault, he would still take responsibility for it. —At such times, if he’s able to do it himself, then he’ll do it; everyone else would feel sad to see it, but he would still insist on reflecting. Ise still hadn’t let go of what happened to Asia. If he was stronger, Asia wouldn’t have died. But because of that, he’s become as strong as he is now. “…That child, did he do anything to make Asia-chan sad? No, that child definitely wouldn’t have done anything that would make Asia-chan cry. On the contrary, he would feel sad if he couldn’t help Asia-chan.”
—Well …Rias couldn’t say anything. Ise’s haha-ue had always been looking at Ise, and understood Ise very well. She felt that her feelings were no match against Ise’s haha-ue, perhaps it was more fitting to say that his haha-ue was watching Ise far more carefully than she was. “…You knew that?”
Hearing Asia’s question, Ise’s haha-ue smiled. “Of course I knew, after all, I am one of his parents. Ise, he’s very overprotective of Asia-chan. | text_20 |
Definitely, in that child’s heart, he hasn’t forgiven himself, and still holds a grudge.”
Although Ise’s haha-ue doesn’t know their true identity, she was still able to feel the daily changes. This was probably her instinct as his haha-ue. …When there finally came a day when it couldn’t be concealed any longer, Rias had already prepared herself for that. Ise’s haha-ue continued
“It’s the same as Ise no longer fishing. It’s certain that at this time, Ise still hasn’t forgiven himself.”
Ise’s haha-ue raised a finger. “There’s only one bad habit that Ise hasn’t changed since he was young.”
“What bad habit is it?”
Hearing Rias ask that, Ise’s haha-ue lowered her head and looked at Ise in a photo of when he was younger. “If he does something wrong, he definitely won’t forgive himself. Simply mentioning that thing will cause him to apologise deeply. And his expression is always the same (pain and regret). You’ll know immediately if you look. Ise’s otou-san also knows that he has this bad habit. That child will always have that expression.”
…Indeed, he was always apologising ‘I was wrong’, ‘I’m sorry’, ‘sorry’ as he was in remorse. Rias recalled that his expression was always the same each time (pain and regret). “…Rias-san, Asia-chan. Although this isn’t the time to be saying it, let me say it. —Ise, I’m entrusting him to you. He may be perverted and stupid, but he’s an honest person.”
“Yes, ogibo-sama.”
“Yes, okaa-san.”
—Okaa-san tightly held the two girl’s hands, as she deeply nodded. The next day—. I — Hyoudou Issei, came with Asia to a certain place early in the morning. It was the vast open space underneath Kuoh Town. The hollow dome shaped space was tightly covered by several layers of protective barriers. In the centre was a large round object — a dragon’s egg. This egg of a rare dragon breed was entrusted to us by Tannin-ossan before our battle against the Church warriors — a [Spectre Dragon] egg. A [Spectre Dragon] had moved to the Underworld, but the Underworld’s atmosphere was unsuitable to hatch its egg, so we placed it in this underground space below the town in the human world so that it could hatch. Since then, it was placed under the care of the members of [DxD] who were in Kuoh Town. Today it was my turn, but Asia also came along with me to watch. There was also another visitor here besides us, and upon seeing her, I laughed. “I didn’t expect that you would take care of this egg.”
I was looking at Ophis who was hugging the egg tightly. “I, have never raised children. Curious.”
Correct, in addition to us who came here in turn every day, Ophis also came here every day. Because [egg], [hatching], and [dragon] were important keywords, it had greatly piqued her interest. Ophis said that she had never seen a dragon hatching out of an egg despite living so long, so she wanted to take this opportunity to witness it. …Having said that, it felt like she was a parent as she held onto it tightly…. Seeing her adorable actions, I couldn’t help laughing. “Hehefufu—”
I don’t know who or where she learnt it from, but Ophis was currently using a breathing technique for pregnant women…. Moreover, a human breathing technique that’s for pregnant women is useless for an oviparous organism. Rather, they’ll hatch out from eggs on their own! …Ravel and Raiser would be returning in two days from the custody of Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. It was said that they were safe, but due to Beelzebub-sama’s own situation and time, there were a lot of things which needed his attention, which is why that day was chosen. …It might be something to do with politics. After all, why would Ravel and Raiser be involved with it…. “…”
In fact, this space actually had another visitor present. Sitting slightly further away, a man wearing a black coat was closely watching Ophis. It was truly unexpected, even the Evil Dragon Crom Cruach was in here! As long as he knew that Ophis was in here, he would rush over and closely observe every minute action that Ophis made. …It couldn’t be said that he was an extremely Evil Dragon…but he was still quite scary. As it was difficult to speak with him much, we didn’t have much to do besides trusting him. Although Tannin-ossan trusted him absolutely, it still wasn’t so simple to get along with him… —While I was thinking about this, Asia walked towards him. She stood in front of Crom Cruach and said
“U-Umm, this, if you want, please eat it.”
What Asia took out of her handbag was — a bunch of bananas. Ophis also always had bananas as a snack. Not only that, Asia had also talked to the four Evil Dragon brothers and Fafnir. Perhaps, in Asia’s mind she had the enigmatic thought that [Dragon = Banana]. “This is called a banana. It tastes very good, you know?”
“…”
Crom Cruach silently received a banana from Asia. I was a little troubled over how to respond to that. After Asia gave him the banana, she bowed, and then came back over. Asia made a small smile as she said
“Sometimes I come here to check on how Ophis is doing.”
The relationship between Asia and Ophis was really good. Asia was able to deal with dragons really well…. Azazel-sensei often says that she has a lot of potential as a dragon tamer. —She said that dragons had something that she couldn’t explain. “…Asia, what happened to Fafnir afterwards?”
I asked about Fafnir. During the battle in Heaven, he was injured while he tried to protect Asia. The Dragon King who received extremely fierce attacks in order to protect Asia—. After the battle with Rizevim, Fafnir had been sleeping to recover. Although his wounds were treated by Asia…Asia had a sorrowful expression on her face as she shook her head. “…I see.”
There was still no response, and even if Asia called him, there would still be no response. The severity of the injury exceeded what was originally expected. Asia told everyone that neither Fafnir’s physical strength nor consciousness had returned as there was no response from him…. Ophis suddenly said something. “You don’t need to worry. —Fafnir is currently fighting.”
As if echoing her, Crom Cruach held the banana as he said with a serious look
“He is a Dragon King. He won’t fall so easily.”
““?””
Asia and I looked at each other; we were both somewhat puzzled by the words of these two dragons. At that time, it was almost noon. “Well, it’s almost lunch time. Ophis, what are you planning to do?”
With a slightly pitiful expression, Ophis put down the egg and came over to where we were. “I, will not miss a meal.”
Geez, she was unexpectedly greedy, this loli Dragon God-sama…. Well, we planned to head home, but what did that other dragon-sama plan to do? “What do you plan to—”
Although I said that to him, he was already gone. Since he knew that Ophis was going back together with us, he quickly left…. But I didn’t expect that that guy, Crom Cruach would actually leave with the banana—. Two days later, it was the weekend—. Today was the day that we would meet Ajuka Beelzebub-sama, the day that Ravel and Raiser would return. | text_20 |
We were all ready, and we planned to use the transportation magic circle underneath my house to travel over to Beelzebub-sama’s location. In order to calm myself down, I went upstairs to the first floor to drink some water. While sitting on the sofa of the living room, tou-san polished his fishing rod as he said to me
“Hey, Ise. I plan to go fishing, why don’t we go together? Kaa-san will come along as well. Call Asia-chan to come together with us too.”
Tou-san smiled as he invited me. …Fishing, huh. Along with Asia, the four of us going together? …Hm, although it wasn’t bad, it was just too unfortunate. If Asia and I went fishing in this situation, I would feel bad about everyone else. I apologetically rubbed the back of my head as I apologised to tou-san. “Sorry, tou-san. …I’m rather busy right now. It’s because there is something very important to do right now. How about we go together next time?”
Hearing my reply, tou-san — his expression became slightly lonesome as he gave me a wry smile and said
“…I see. Although I do occasionally want to go fishing with my children, you are also high school students, and you have your own priorities.”
“Sorry.”
“What are you talking about, it’s alright. We’ll go together next time!”
Although tou-san replied to me like that…I couldn’t tell him the truth. Although it was rather painful, it was also in order to prevent my parents from danger that I said that. After tou-san said that, kaa-san came over to my side and whispered. (For otou-san, he was really happy when he heard that you were going to start up your own company later, so he wanted to go fishing with you by the sea so that he could have an honest talk with you.) —Well. …So that was it. Tou-san truly was happy. That was why he invited me to go fishing. (…Ah — I see, but, it’ll have to be next time.) After hearing me say that, kaa-san made a bitter smile and pat my back as she said
(Okay, let me accompany otou-san today. You can go and finish what you need to do.) Kaa-san said that to me as she took the cup from my hand. (But you know, Ise. Your otou-san, he wants to have a good conversation with you as a father. You can’t forget this, okay?) …Have a good conversation with tou-san? I felt a little shy about a solemn conversation between just two people…. I was already a boy of this age, so having a conversation like that with tou-san seemed a little difficult…
(I understand.) After saying that, I returned downstairs—. It was time; the members of the Occult Research Club, the Sitris, Griselda-san and Azazel-sensei had gathered in the basement. Dulio was on guard duty in Heaven, and Ikuse Tobio was on a mission elsewhere so both of them couldn’t come here. The Vali team didn’t come either. Although we called Kuroka and Le Fay, it seemed like they were at Vali’s side…
“……”
Recalling what my parents just said, I was slightly distracted. I obviously chose to pick Ravel up to return here, but I was rather concerned about what my parents said…
“What is it, Ise?”
Noticing that I seemed a bit strange, Azazel-sensei curiously asked me
“Ah, sorry, it’s just something I’m a bit concerned about.”
Perhaps knowing what it was, Rias said
“Did anything happen with your parents?”
As expected of Rias, she really understood me. Sensei exhaled, and then continued
“I was wondering what it was; so you had an argument with your parents? Letting strange things worry you right now will be troublesome. Say it out and you might be able to relax a bit.”
Perhaps that could work. So I told everyone about what happened before. “It’s not a big deal. Although they wanted to go fishing, I declined. I declined because there were other things to be done.”
After hearing what I said, sensei held his hand up to his chin, and then eloquently said
“…Fishing, huh. And together with his son.”
Sensei said to me with a serious expression
“Listen carefully, Ise. Although you can’t do it today, you should go fishing together next time.”
“Eh? Well, of course. That’s what I was planning to do…. What’s with you all of a sudden, sensei?”
Sensei rested his hand on top of my shoulder. “Parents, they won’t stay by your side forever. Someday, they will leave you. So, while they’re still here, you should properly fulfil your responsibility as their child.”
“Ah, yes, I know…”
Rather abruptly, Akeno-san and I looked at each other — she returned a faint smile to me. …My parents won’t always be by my side? That is true; since I have both of my parents, perhaps it could be said that I’m one of the most blessed among everyone else. …I decided that as long as I had time, I would go fishing with tou-san. Occasionally, I also need to spend some quality time with my family! I once again made up my mind. Sensei looked at everyone as he said
“These words, you need to remember them as well Rias.”
“I understand them very well. But, isn’t it about time?”
In response to Rias who calmly answered, sensei sighed. “Really, that’s why I say you young people…you should all get ready.”
Azazel-sensei released light from his hands, and the large transportation magic circle below our feet then glowed. The destination was Ajuka Beelzebub-sama’s location — that was the only way that it could vaguely be explained. After a few seconds, we were surrounded by the light which was emitted from the magic circle, and then transported to our destination—. TN: Where I have dialogue within brackets such as [“WHAT! ?”], it is used to indicate the response of several people at once. When the light disappeared, the place we arrived at was — a sandy beach. That’s right, no matter how one looked at it, it was a beach. The sky above…was very dark. It was night time. The sound of rustling waves echoed over the quiet beach. …In the Underworld, seas didn’t exist. It was difficult to say that it was a huge lake too…. But the sky looked somewhat different from the Underworld. So, it was the human world then…? While I was thinking about that, I saw ‘it’ hanging in the air. —It was something which closely resembled the moon, and there were two of them. In the human world, only one moon was visible in the night sky from Earth. So where was this place…? Everyone noticed that this place was neither the human world nor the Underworld, and began looking around everywhere. “—This place is known as a field which is part of the reproduction of another dimension, [Another World].”
A voice was suddenly heard. Looking over at the direction where the voice came from — there was a man sitting on a chair on a certain side of the beach. It was a man with a bewitching atmosphere — Maou Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. Placed beside Beelzebub-sama was a bed. On top of it there seemed to be someone sleeping there. …The chair and bed which were sitting on the beach seemed rather out of place. Normally speaking, when coming to a beach, shouldn’t it be accompanied by a parasol and deck chairs? …The mysterious feeling really suited this Maou-sama’s unusual taste. | text_20 |
Beelzebub-sama closed the book he was reading and greeted us. “Long time no see, members of the Gremory household…no, right now, I should say the members of [DxD].”
Azazel-sensei took a step forwards first, and shook hands with Beelzebub-sama who had stood up. “It’s been a long time since we last saw each other in the Underworld, Ajuka.”
Beelzebub-sama smiled as he shook hands. “Being able to meet you like this without any other VIPs present is a first, Former Governor Azazel-dono.”
“Rather than me, did you prepare this beforehand as well?”
Sensei said that as he looked around at the beach. Beelzebub-sama smiled wryly and replied
“You could say that our meeting is rather dangerous for our factions, even if there are the members of [DxD] to intervene.”
After the two people of high stature met face to face, Rias brought up a question. “Ajuka-sama, what about Raiser and Ravel?”
Beelzebub-sama looked towards the bed. “Raiser Phoenix was just taken away by the Phoenix family who came a little earlier. But they thought that it would be more appropriate to entrust the ojou-santo you. Ravel-san is over there.”
Looking over to the bed — Ravel was sleeping there peacefully. —Uh! I, and everyone else who couldn’t wait ran to her side. “Ravel! Ravel!”
“Ravel!”
Koneko-chan and I both called Ravel’s name from the bedside. In order to reassure us, Beelzebub-sama said
“She’s just asleep right now.”
In response to our calls, Ravel spoke. “…Nnn…Ise…sama? And Koneko-san…?”
Having just opened her eyes, Ravel noticed Koneko-chan and me! “Uwuaaaaahhh!”
Seeing that Ravel was safe, Koneko-chan embraced Ravel as she cried. At this time, I was a little embarrassed to hug her… But I couldn’t stop my tears from welling up, seeing that Ravel was safe and sound! Looking around, everyone was at ease with their hands over their chest. …I see, not only Ravel, Raiser was also safe and returned home with the Phoenix family. Sensei added on a bit of information. “In fact, my special agents — Slash Dog’s team, went to the Phoenix household as Raiser’s bodyguards. Nothing happened to them.”
So Ikuse-san’s mission was to be Raiser’s bodyguard. …However, to send the Grigori’s top special team as bodyguards, it seems like Raiser’s safety was rather important… It seemed to be related to the place that Ravel slept in. It was certain that the pair became involved in some sort of incident. After we confirmed that the Phoenix siblings were safe, Beelzebub-sama said to us
“Well, the reason for inviting you guys and the Former Governor over isn’t as simple as just telling you that this girl is safe and sound.”
Saying this, Beelzebub-sama took out from his pocket — a chess piece. …Speaking of Beelzebub-sama, I remembered that he was the creator of the [Evil Pieces]. This was something which was already known…but I hadn’t seen the shape of that piece before. It was unlike the [Pawn] or [Knight], and neither was it like the [Bishop], [Rook], or [Queen]. “Is there a connection to this chess piece? It doesn’t feel like just any other Evil Piece.”
That’s right, the aura which emanated from that piece — it was certainly an Evil Piece. The reincarnated Devils and I who were present could feel it. Out from Beelzebub-sama‘s mouth came a shocking truth. “—This is the [King] piece.”
[“—What! ?”]
…How could it be? It was actually that!? Everyone who heard that was left stunned. That was to be expected! It was because what we had learnt until now about the Evil Pieces was that the [King] piece did not exist. From what we were taught, after becoming a high-class Devil, all we had to do was touch the [Monument] inside the Maou’s or various Lords’ castles and we would become a [King]. After that, we would be able to have our own peerage and a set of Evil Pieces. That was why they told us that the [King] piece did not exist… Although I mentioned before that everyone was startled by it, one person was an exception, and the person who remained absolutely calm was — Azazel-sensei. “…Although I’ve heard of the rumours, this is really my first time seeing it.”
“…You already knew about it, sensei?”
After hearing my question, sensei put his hand on his chin. “I said they were rumours. Originally, after signing the agreement with the Devils, I continued to search for the truth.”
No, no, I was just too surprised! Even as a high-class Devil and [King], Rias seemed to have a look of incredible disbelief as she looked at the piece which Beelzebub-sama was holding in his hand. “…[King]…piece? How is it possible? The technology to produce the [King] piece hasn’t been developed right? Isn’t it said that simply completing the registration process to become [King] with the [Monument] is enough? That’s how the system is, right?”
Hearing what Rias said, Beelzebub-sama nodded. “Well, the [King] piece originally didn’t exist. What you said just now was originally the Evil Pieces system, and the registration process for becoming [King]…no, I can only say that’s all there is to the registration system. But in order not to let the [King] piece be exposed in the current story which exists, when a servant Devil is promoted, the piece within their body fusing or overlapping with the [King] piece is judged to be a very dangerous thing.”
Beelzebub-sama played with the piece in his hand as he continued
“The characteristic of this piece — is simply power enhancement. But, the strengthening isn’t as weak as just two or three times. As long as one possesses this, it could be ten times, or even a strengthening of over a hundred times is possible. That literally means, power can be enhanced far more than normal. That’s why the [King] piece was prohibited. The fear was that the people who had obtained this sort of power could have malicious intentions towards the government, and could harm the government. Excessive power will blind people’s eyes.”
…Pure strengthening. Strengthening of ten or even a hundred-fold was basically the same effect as Ophis’s snakes wasn’t it? Did the Old Maou Faction know about this? …I don’t know, and even if they knew, I wonder if they used it. Why was the [King] piece made by the Maou then—. I don’t think they hated the current Maous just because they used the [King] piece. I still remembered the Old Maou Faction who harboured such strong evil feelings. …Those guys obtained snakes after getting the support of Ophis, and then indulged themselves in power. If they were able to use the [King] piece, many high-class Devils and reincarnated Devils who could easily rise up would appear. …Diadora would definitely have lost himself with the power of the [King] piece if he had one. Prohibiting it was an understandable matter. Beelzebub-sama created a small magic circle next to his hand. After applying a small amount of energy to it, the details of dozens of people appeared on the beach. …I felt like they were all people that I had seen in video recordings and Rating Game magazines. | text_20 |
Rias and Sona-zenkaichou also thought that they seemed familiar, and their expressions seemed confused. In this situation, Beelzebub-sama told us an even more shocking truth. “The people shown here are all top ranked Rating Game contestants. What they have in common is that they’re all from the original 72 Pillars — pure-blooded high-class Devils. Furthermore, they — are all users of the [King] piece. This was the idea of the higher-ups in the Underworld. It hasn’t been publicly stated. As a result, the users of these pieces are known as ultimate-class Devils, and it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that they’re even Maou-class.”
[“—What! ?”]
…Everyone was left speechless. They were all too surprised by Beelzebub-sama’s words. After gasping, Sona-zenkaichou asked Beelzebub-sama
“…Well, the true power of those shown here in the top rankings is…?”
“Ah, them, the majority of them are using a power which can’t publicly be stated as ‘their own power’ to continuously climb the ranks. Most of the Game’s management executives are also people who are on their side. By retaining the [King] piece, using bribery to obtain the commercial rights, along with the ideas of the higher-ups, they conspire beforehand to manipulate their games. They’re constantly involved in unfair and dishonest competitions. Even so, there are people who have used their own power to become top ranking players. For example, people like the former Dragon King Tannin, and Rudiger Rosenkreutz. It’s a trend mainly seen with reincarnated Devils.”
…The unbelievable confession caused everyone to listen quietly. It was confirmed that the information which appeared there didn’t have anything to do with Tannin-ossan. Indeed, that ossan’s true power as an ultimate-class Devil was genuine. Beelzebub-sama shrugged. “Well, it’s the same as competitions in the human world…the Rating Games in the Underworld have a similar flaw. I was just the initiator, and didn’t manage the actual system itself. There may even be other [Cannot be touched], and [Cannot be spoken] things which are being used. As the initiator, no matter what the era, simply taking a step away from producing things will cause things to get out of hand.”
After the Rating Game system was completed, most of the rights were transferred over to the current Game managers. I didn’t expect it; Ajuka Beelzebub-sama obviously created the Game, but when the Rating Game combined the ideas of other people it could actually become so repulsive. I had also heard that for the creators of a work, when they mixed in the ideas of other people, it would feel very annoying. “That is to say, although the competition is quite fierce, as long as one has true strength, anyone can obtain fame in the Rating Games. To the people in the higher-ups, it’s not a sham…but the players who are able to break through the status quo are only the exceptionally special cases like you guys. For other people, it’s an impossible task.”
A half-baked awareness and ability would make it impossible to overcome the higher-ups who created this. “The reason why the top ranked contestants don’t have much change in rank is because…?”
Kiba, who often watched Rating Games continued to ask Beelzebub-sama
“—This kind of tug-of-war state is because there are perfect adjustments to balance it. It’s just the old Devils who are secretly controlling things in order to reap the benefits. It’s really just a competition for the for the old Devils’ top ranked players so that they can generate a lot of money. As long as they’re able to control the competition, the profits that they receive will simply increase. No matter how eye-catching a reincarnated Devil is, as long as they use the [King] piece, the challengers to the top ranked players who are controlled by those old Devils will undoubtedly face an unfair challenge.”
Beelzebub-sama’s words caused Sona-zenkaichou to fall to her knees on the spot. “…How can this be…! ?”
For Sona-zenkaichou, who planned to build a Rating Game school that anyone could attend, this information was like a deadly poison to her… —The [King] piece. The top ranked players were in control of the rankings. It was a cruel fact. “…All of this is a concealed truth. If the people knew about this, it would dramatically shake the values of the Underworld…”
Saji, who was supporting Sona-zenkaichou revealed an expression of anguish. “…Sirzechs can’t do much about them either, right?”
Azazel-sensei asked Beelzebub-sama. “For now, this is how it is. On the surface, it’s just a political front that they’re pretending to actively deal with, but if they act rashly, the balance of the Underworld will collapse. With the issues related to the survival of the race and internal strife on top of that, both the young and old are in a heated situation where everything could collapse in a single instant. Moreover, the opponents are the numerous cunning old Devils; for their own interests and the sake of their aristocratic society, they’ll do anything. To some extent, they’re even more troublesome than the Old Maou faction as they harbour an even deeper darkness than them. Even for Sirzechs and I who are known as Super Devils, we can only appear to push back and forth on the surface politically.”
The Rating Games were tied together with politics and economics…. Behind the scenes, those powerful Devils were manipulating the competition for their own interests. Right now, we found out about an incredible situation…I could no longer seriously look at a professional game! In the battle between the Gremory and Bael Houses, it could also have been considered a contest between the Maou faction and Great King faction behind the scenes, which was why a different type of contest could be displayed. The match itself was truly honest. It must have been due to Sirzechs-sama’s effort in making a deal in secret so that our match wouldn’t be manipulated. With a grim expression, Rias continued to ask Beelzebub-sama
“But, why are you telling us this information? Wasn’t this extremely confidential information something that only the higher-ups — and Maou’s knew about?”
Beelzebub-sama quietly closed his eyes. “The person who shouldn’t know about this, or perhaps I should say, the person who can’t be allowed to know about this, does know about it. —That person is Emperor Diehauser Belial. He knows the truth about this.”
—What! …The Emperor’s name was actually mentioned here. And it seems he also knew about the truth of the Rating Games. “Is Diehauser genuine?”
“Well, he is pure in his virtue as he used his own talent and ability to become the Champion of Devils. Without using the [King] piece, he was able to reach the very top. That’s the reason behind the incident which occurred the other day. —Rizevim Livan Lucifer was able to successfully snatch Agreasdue to the assistance of the Emperor. It was all in order to pursue the truth of everything.”
[“—WHAT! ?”]
…How could it be!? We were surprised once again by this information. | text_20 |
That Emperor Belial, he would actually help Rizevim, and Qlippoth!? The Champion actually took part in the incident where Agreas was stolen…. I seemed to have a faint clue about it. When we went to Auros Academy, the Champion had come over to visit us, and also spoke to the children. Afterwards, it seems he then went over to Agreas for filming…I see, at that time, the Champion had already defected and was together with Rizevim… —All along, we were being led towards that battle in Auros Academy, and it was singlehandedly set up by the Champion. …Damn it, I was angrier than I was surprised; that series of events simply began to confuse me. Rias was so shocked that even her shoulders began trembling. “That Champion…actually participated in a terrorist attack…I can’t believe it!”
“He defected precisely because he discovered the truth. You could say that he thought it through, and didn’t just do it impulsively.”
Even Xenovia, who was always impulsive, seemed doubtful about the Champion’s actions. Beelzebub-sama frowned. “He has his own reasons. …If you search for the root cause, you could say that it’s the fault of the old Devils. …The ways of thinking of those older Devils has gradually been distorting the standards of the Underworld. It finally reached the limit. And the Champion used this opportunity to take action.”
The Champion’s own reasons—. …With the reason that the Underworld, Devils, and every faction was his enemy, he really…. Because I had only met him a handful of times, I didn’t think that he was a bad person. However, since I was just like a child who lacked much experience, perhaps I wasn’t able to see that he was a bad person…. I was a little concerned about something, so I asked Beelzebub-sama
“Why did this happen to Raiser and Ravel…? Could it be that Emperor Belial was using it as a terrorist attack?”
Only now did I notice that the Champion dragged the Phoenix siblings into this. Beelzebub-sama replied to me
“In order to call me out. He only wanted to talk to me, and that’s why he used them. During a match, when misconduct occurs, that’s something I personally manage. In order to fulfil this condition, the misconduct occurred this time because the Champion used his ability against the system. His ability is called [Worthless]; it is the power to completely invalidate a special ability. He invalidated the retiring system of the Rating Game, which caused the emergency program to be initiated. …In order to confirm exactly why the Emperor did such a thing, I transported myself over there.”
…So that was the truth behind the misconduct. The Emperor used his own ability to invalidate the Game’s system, and as a result, Beelzebub-sama personally transported over there after becoming interested in the misconduct. “Well, what did you talk about?”
In response to Azazel-sensei’s question, Beelzebub-sama nodded. “Yes, about the [King] piece and it was also made clear that he was cooperating with Rizevim. —But, simply for that, having the Phoenix siblings there was too dangerous.”
“In the end, what happened?”
I asked Beelzebub-sama again, but the person who replied was Azazel-sensei. “The Rating Game uses cameras for the audience, and cameras with other purposes such as surveillance. The camera used for surveillance is not only used by the management, but in some cases, the higher-ups are also able to view it. The conversation between Ajuka and the Champion was also seen by the higher-ups. The Phoenix siblings who were present at the time could also be suspected of having involvement. The reason for this is because, while Ajuka and the Emperor were talking about the [King] piece, it led to various other confidential matters being spoken about. If things aren’t handled well, the two siblings will be disposed of.”
“Disposed, how will…!”
Simply for being present there, Ravel would be disposed of? That was just far too unreasonable! Beelzebub-sama made a wry smile. “That’s what they’ll do. In order to maintain their own position, those old guys would definitely do such a thing calmly. In the past, the people who have found out about the truth of the [King] piece have also been mercilessly disposed of by them. Afraid that it would come to that, the Emperor used the Phoenix siblings and then entrusted them to me. Even if it’s those old guys, they wouldn’t dare to act rashly against me.”
…So that was the truth behind the cause for the events which occurred in the match between the Champion Belial and Raiser…. Beelzebub-sama continued
“Both of them were entrusted to me honestly. Before ensuring their safety with absolute certainty, I didn’t release them. For young people like you with a bright future to actually be killed due to the plots of those old guys, that’s something I absolutely cannot agree with.”
Although Raiser and Ravel were dragged into this confidential matter, they were able to remain safe, all because Beelzebub-sama did his best to protect them. …To us, this bewitching man stood at the highest point of the Underworld in a place that we couldn’t even see. But, having saved the Phoenix siblings this time, he was a Maou-sama that was worthy of our trust. Thinking about it, I’m currently strong, and that’s also thanks to him as he helped me adjust my pieces. After recovering herself, Sona-zenkaichou stood up, and narrowed her eyes. “Ajuka-sama, what are the plans for the Champion now that he’s no longer here?”
She asked a key question. Beelzebub-sama said
“—Everything that we just discussed will be announced to the entire Underworld and the various factions.”
[“—WHAT! ?”]
After hearing the Champion’s purpose from Beelzebub-sama, everyone was given quite a shock. …It was the same as what Saji said, if everyone found out about this, the Underworld’s values would be damaged. And there were also the hopes and dreams of middle and low-class Devils for the Rating Games—. …The inside was truly dark; if everyone knew about the manipulation of rankings, the people who worked hard for their dreams and the children who were filled with dreams of the future would have their hopes crushed. Being ranked first, the absolute Champion; the truth which came out of Emperor Belial’s would weigh heavier than anything else. With a bitter expression and teary face, Sona-zenkaichou said
“…Perhaps that will come at the expense of even more victims than the past.”
The battle for Agreas, and the battle after the attack in Heaven had already resulted in many casualties. The Emperor’s purpose looked like it was only going to cause even more casualties this time. That’s because the people who found out about the truth would rally together and riot. Beelzebub-sama sighed. “…There will be a considerable number of sacrifices. Especially because the incident this time is quite radical. Together with the Agreas battle, the things which have been lost are things which cannot be ignored.”
“So where is the Champion now?”
Rias asked. | text_20 |
What needed to be said had been said, what needed to be asked had been asked; so where did the Champion go? “He forcibly transferred away. He must have used Rizevim’s power, or perhaps he used the power of that Evil Dragon who’s renowned for his magic, Aži Dahāka. He thought that if he stayed too long with me, it would be dangerous.”
Beelzebub-sama replied. However, my doubts still continued. “…But, why did that only happen with Raiser’s match? Would it not have worked if it was against other opponents…?”
Towards my question, Beelzebub-sama gently laughed. “You will soon know the answer to that question. He is unexpectedly wise.”
…? I didn’t quite understand. Did he have a reason for using Raiser or not? Azazel-sensei cleared his throat and said
“However, Ajuka. Since the video from the surveillance camera could be seen, then that means those old Devils would have heard your conversation with Emperor Belial. They might come over to question your negligence.”
“To some extent, what happened in that video has been tampered with. Right now, those old guys will be making the wrong move…”
Sensei shrugged. “I see. Even if the Champion did something, then there’ll be a reasonable response. Given that it’s you, you definitely would’ve made preparations.”
“That is the case for now. I am a Maou after all. It’s also something that Sirzechs can’t do, something that only I can do.”
“I see, you’re quite correct. —But even if a lot of things happen, we need to keep the number of casualties to a minimum.”
“Well, of course I understand that. I definitely won’t allow any of the civilians who are innocent to become victims.”
Azazel-sensei and Beelzebub-sama were able to speak to each other congenially. We couldn’t help thinking that these two people were indeed VIPs, and were truly worthy of being the leaders of their race. “Thank you again for the matter involving Ravel and Raiser, Ajuka.”
“Of course I’d do something of that level, Former Governor-dono. It’s quite rare for young people with such bright futures to appear, so how could I possibly let them die like that? The current Rating Game situation is a result my laissez-faireattitude. If possible, I want to purify the elements of the Game environment that I can. Raiser Phoenix as well as you young Devils could be the ones with the vital talent which is required to change the Rating Games.”
I took a step forward and bowed my head. “…I don’t understand the complicated issues, but I completely trust Azazel-sensei and the Maou-samas when it comes to the political aspect of things. But, please let me thank you. I am truly grateful that you were able to help Ravel and Raiser!”
It was a candid thought. Originally, the politics of the Rating Games and its darkness were too distant from us. But the person who saved Ravel was this man, so I thanked him for that. “…Thank you.”
“Ah, thank you!”
Koneko-chan stood beside me and also thanked him as she bowed her head. Gasper also copied us. For the both of them, since their friend was rescued, they expressed their thankfulness to Maou-sama. The members of [DxD] who were present also bowed in gratitude. A smile emerged on Beelzebub-sama’s face. “Well, you young Devils will face many troubles, but, please overcome them. The circumstances above you have the people above you to deal with them. Afterwards, no matter what happens, you should enthusiastically show your spirit, and protect the things that you should protect!”
Those were concise words! Ah, anyone who strikes out at us will definitely be repaid a hundred-fold. Anything that needs to be protected will be protected with all our strength. That was us. That wasn’t just something that we had been doing, but also that we’ll continue to do in the future. —While I was thinking like that, Azazel-sensei raised his index finger and asked Beelzebub-sama
“Tell me one thing. —How many [King] pieces currently exist?”
“The production was already stopped during the initial development stage. No one even knows the production method, and only I made them, so it’s not possible for new pieces to be made. To sum it up, only the few that I made during initial production exist. I’ve kept track of all of them; aside from the few that I have, there are nine in total. The Emperor gave his one to me. I now currently have four.”
I didn’t realise when, but Beelzebub-sama produced a second [King] piece in his hand. I was afraid that that was the piece which he obtained from the Emperor. After hearing this response, sensei had a grim look. “…There are five which remain in the hands of higher-up Devils. It’s surprisingly many. If worst come to worst, it’ll be enough for a rebellion.”
…The Devils who used those pieces were able to rival ultimate-class Devils, and even Maou-class Devils. As for the rest of the five Devils, sensei didn’t know what they would bring about. “I plan to spend a few thousand years reclaiming them. This is the responsibility that I should fulfil as the creator.”
The piece that he obtained from the Emperor could possibly be called reclaiming. If it was someone other than this man who obtained it, it was possible that they would do something unimaginably evil. In fact, it really is good that the Emperor’s piece was not taken by Rizevim…. Or would it have been useless to Rizevim? Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the Maou-sama said
“If the [King] piece is used by someone who is already too strong, or if it is used by someone who has a special ability, an overload may occur. In the worst case, it would endanger their lives. Even if they were saved…it wouldn’t be any better.”
So such a reason existed. It wasn’t something that could be used by the people who already possessed power. Perhaps that’s the reason why the Old Maou faction didn’t use it? If Rizevim used it, it was possible that he could die, so that’s why he didn’t use it…? There were still many questions which were left unanswered. Beelzebub-sama said to Azazel-sensei
“There is also something else, Former Governor Azazel-dono.”
“What is it?”
“It’ll be best if you can realise it. To be honest, if I were the enemy, in order to bring down [DxD], you would be the first person I’d target.”
—Mn. …No one expected such a statement from Beelzebub-sama, and everyone focused their attention towards those two people. Beelzebub-sama continued
“You are far too talented. Not only to this team, even for the various factions, you’re an outstanding consultant. The next time Indra and Hades aim for something, it will be you…I hope you realise that.”
Sensei shrugged as he smiled wryly. “…That’s the same as what that God of Destruction said. …But, I’ve more or less prepared some self-protection measures.”
…Target sensei huh. Sensei was our benefactor who had guided us. And as a bridge for the various factions, he was involved in VIP talks several times. Looking at the current state of things, the reason why the [DxD] team existed was also thanks to sensei. | text_20 |
That was why sensei’s ability was a very important existence to both us, and the VIPs of the various factions. …That was why he would become a target for people. Please sensei; don’t let anything happen to you in the future. If you fall, the future will become uncertain…well, sensei isn’t someone who’d die easily though. But Beelzebub-sama’s advice was terrifying enough. Conversely, Azazel-sensei asked Beelzebub-sama
“I heard that you also plunged into some strange things? —You know the whereabouts of [Innovate Clear] and [Telos Karma] right? You did that with your own [Team]…it has something to do with this space, doesn’t it?”
All of a sudden, Azazel-sensei listed the names of two Longinus…. What was it? Although I knew that Beelzebub-sama operated his own [Team] somewhere in Japan…what do two of the Longinus have to do with this space? Beelzebub-sama shook his head. “I’m very sorry, but this is my field. Even if it’s you who’s familiar with Sacred Gears, you may not be able to understand. If you want to know why, it’s because it exists outside of the world.”
Sensei regretfully sighed as he said ‘I see’. At this time, a small magic circle for communication appeared beside Beelzebub-sama’s ear. Beelzebub-sama listened to the voice. “…A hotline, huh.”
Beelzebub-sama eloquently narrowed his eyes. “…Ho, to some extent it’s an unexpected move from them, but it’s also a bad move.”
He turned around and said to us
“You should return immediately.”
“What happened?”
Rias asked about the sudden occurrence, and a shocking piece of news came from the Maou-sama’s mouth. “—Ophis was attacked by an Evil Dragon.”
[“—WHAT! ?”]
I and everyone else were speechless— The malice of those guys was in action once again. Upstairs in the Hyoudou household—. Gathered in Ophis’s room were the members from before, and also Dulio who rushed over afterwards. Having been brought back, Ravel returned to her own room to rest. Koneko-chan also accompanied her. However, Ophis was lying on her bed…with her clothes ripped and tattered. Asia was currently healing her. The external injuries gradually faded until they disappeared. …When we hurriedly returned over from Beelzebub-sama’s side, Ophis had already been brutally injured. Her limbs had all been shattered, and her face was very heavily injured as well. Her entire body was covered with wounds caused by claws, and she had lost consciousness. Even after receiving treatment, she had not regained consciousness. …If she was still infinite, these kinds of injuries wouldn’t matter at all. But, she was currently finite. Even if she was stronger than any one person in this room, she could still be injured. …But, who was it? I couldn’t think of anyone that could defeat Ophis. And where was she attacked? As these doubts filled my mind, Dulio said
“…It looks like she was attacked in that underground space. At the time, I had a sense of anxiety, and quickly rushed over there. At that time, the Evil Dragon had already escaped. The one who arrived there before me was Crom Cruach.”
“……”
In the direction that Dulio pointed towards, Crom Cruach stood there as he leaned against the wall. Dulio then said
“Ophis, she…in order to protect the [Spectre Dragon] egg, she was beaten.”
……. …In other words, Ophis was hurt like this so that she could protect the egg… …Ah, those bastards, they must have deliberately been aiming for that egg. Since it was Ophis, she definitely would have sacrificed her life to protect that egg. If the aim of those bastards was to defeat Ophis, then they certainly would have aimed for the egg to attack her. Supposing that Ophis was protecting the egg, even Evil Dragons would be able to defeat her. But she didn’t do anything, or perhaps they used a technique that Ophis was defenceless against…? In any case, they injured Ophis to such an extent while she was defenceless. They really were a group of evil bastards…damn it! “…Uhh. …Ophis.”
I was so angry that my entire body was pulsating. …She was clearly living a peaceful life. She was living together with us peacefully every day. She was really interested in the [Spectre Dragon] egg, and wanted to guard it. She just wanted to live an ordinary life! An aura of rage seeped out of my body. Beside me, Rias and Asia tried to comfort me. “…Ise-san.”
“Ise, calm down. You’ll just be doing what they want if you don’t maintain your composure. All of us can also understand your anger. I, as well as everyone else am undeniably angry.”
“…I know, everything is because of that guy…it’s all part of that bastard’s plan…damn it!”
—Rizevim, Qlippoth! Indeed, it’s only that guy that I have to…! I restrained the anger in my body, and calmed my mind. At that time, a small communication magic circle appeared beside sensei’s ear. “What is it, what happened?”
Turning my attention towards sensei, I saw that he was unable to utter a word, and he had a mortified expression. “—Shit! …How did it come to that? Those bastards, they actually went and did something like that…!”
After thumping his chest a few times, sensei adjusted his breathing and said to me
“Ise, listen to me calmly. Do you understand? You absolutely have to listen to me calmly.”
“What actually happened, sensei? What is it?”
“—Your parents, they were just kidnapped by Qlippoth.”
The instant I heard that, I felt something erupt within me. The members of [DxD] were gathered in the VIP room on the top floor of the Hyoudou household. Having moved from Ophis’s room to this room, I — Kiba Yuuto, and my nakama were looking at the multiple monitors which were inside the VIP room, checking a certain video recording. —It was the video recording of what happened in that space. Because it was the precious egg that the former Dragon King Tannin entrusted us with, it was always monitored in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. It was also a rare breed, so there was also a desire to record the moment that it hatched. That was the reason why there were surveillance cameras set up in the underground space. The footage that had been recorded by these numerous cameras was currently being watched by us. …What the recording showed, was a single Evil Dragon that had suddenly appeared in the underground space with Ophis, who then confronted it. After that…she was subjected to unimaginably brutal violence. …It was a scene of extreme cruelty. People couldn’t help looking away from it. The Evil Dragon’s tyrannical actions were excessively brutal. …With black scales and a khaki coloured belly, it was a slender snake-like Evil Dragon. Based on the image in the video, it had a large body which was around twenty metres long. Although it was snake-like in appearance, it had four limbs, and also four wings. It was uncertain whether the fluid which eerily drooled out of its giant mouth was saliva or venom. Together with its petrifying smile, it was a horribly ugly sight. | text_20 |
Seeing this, I recalled that I might have seen it before; Rossweisse-san held her mouth with an expression of disgust as she said
“[Abyss Rage Dragon]— Níðhöggris a legendary Evil Dragon that has been living in Northern Europe. Even after being punished, it is a very problematic Evil Dragon that eventually revives. Because its vindictiveness is so deep, even when Ragnarökcomes — at the end of the world, it will survive and remain. …According to the records, the last time that it was defeated was several hundred years ago. Whether it resurrected on its own, or through the Holy Grail is unknown.”
Níðhöggr, huh. I had also read about that legend. In the icy region of Niflheim in the Norse world, that was where Níðhöggr lived. It was a dragon that was full of greed. Because it often felt hungry, it swallowed everything that it laid its eyes upon. That Níðhöggr continuously attacked Ophis violently while she showed no resistance. It used its front paws to kick Ophis several times, stomp on Ophis several times, and even used its gigantic mouth to bite Ophis. Why didn’t Ophis show any resistance against it at all? The reason was in Níðhöggr’s left paw. —Ise-kun’s unconscious parents were being held by Níðhöggr’s claws. With a bitter expression, Azazel-sensei said
“…That bastard, it abducted Ise’s parents beforehand, and then went to where Ophis was. Although we don’t know what it said, it most certainly treated Ise’s parents as hostages….”
Indeed, looking at that video recording, when the Evil Dragon suddenly appeared in the underground space and confronted Ophis, it had said something to her. Níðhöggr held Ise’s parents that it had captured in front of Ophis, and Ophis then released her fighting stance. She surrendered herself to the ruthless violence of the Evil Dragon. “…It’s also staring at the egg. How despicable…!”
Both Rias-zenbuchou and Sona-zenkaichou quivered in anger as they watched the video recording. In the video, Níðhöggr feinted attacks against the egg several times, and Ophis would then stand in front of the egg to protect it. At that time — that Evil Dragon would ferociously and repeatedly assault Ophis. Seeing the Dragon God with such strong determination, everyone began to shed tears of remorse. She was a friend of Ise-kun. It was undeniably because her friend’s parents were used as hostages that she must have thought ‘if his parent’s die, my friend will be sad’. It was also because of her interest in the [Spectre Dragon] egg that she cared for and had become attached to. —However, this was all used against her by that vicious Evil Dragon. Even for Ophis, although she once possessed immense power, she was currently limited; without the strength to withstand those attacks, it was inevitable that she would be defeated. “…But, how did the Evil Dragon infiltrate that place?”
Griselda-san calmly asked. Set up all around Kuoh Town were powerful barriers. That underground space was within those barriers so it wouldn’t be very easy to simply break into it. …Having said that, in the past, there have been cases of barriers which were forcibly broken through, or hostile people who waited on the outside of the barrier. I was afraid that this time, both of those things might have happened. Besides forcibly breaking through that barrier, they had also kidnapped Ise-kun’s parents who had travelled outside of the barrier. It was said that when Ise-kun’s parents went out to go fishing, they had special agents who were secretly guarding them, but they were gotten rid of when the incident occurred. Sensei answered
“…Lilith. It could be using some sort of link or connection between her and Ophis since she is a spawn of Ophis. Anyway, that side has Ophis’s spawn…when push comes to shove, they’ll incite her to do what they need. Right now, we’re analysing how they broke through the barrier…really, although I shouldn’t say this as the designer, it truly is such a useless barrier…!”
With a look of regret, sensei closed his eyes and grabbed his hair. “In the middle of that, Níðhöggr sensed the presence of Crom Cruach who had transported over there, and immediately fled. Perhaps Crom Cruach having contact with Ophis, and Crom Cruach showing up there were both things which it had not expected.”
It was just as sensei said. In the video recording, after Crom Cruach appeared over there, the situation immediately changed. Níðhöggr was astonished the instant that it saw Crom Cruach. Seeing its panicked expression, it seemed like it didn’t expect Crom Cruach to show up there at all. In the video recording, Crom Cruach had noticed the change in Ophis, but by the time that he looked back towards Níðhöggr, that Evil Dragon had already begun to transport itself away. The last scene in the recording showed Crom Cruach moving closer to Ophis, and Dulio appearing. Subsequently, Dulio carried the injured Ophis to this room in the Hyoudou household. However, this news was known by Beelzebub-sama’s intelligence network that had learned of it even before Azazel-sensei. That was the whole story of how Ophis was attacked. “……”
Ise-kun continuously watched the video recording with a blank expression, and even when the video ended, he remained silent. Entirely understanding the situation, Ise-kun — was silently overflowing with a red aura. He was continuously releasing a pressure which was different to before. The incredible force of the pressure caused everyone to become afraid of uttering a single word; they could only watch as they swallowed their saliva. His precious parents had been taken away, and were then treated as hostages. Ophis, who he always took good care of and protected, had also been severely injured. —It was an area that absolutely should not be touched; it was something that could be called a sanctuary. Seeing the Ise-kun before my eyes, I thought deeply. Qlippoth — Rizevim Livan Lucifer trampled over that sanctuary without any restraint. —He had triggered the wrath of a dragon. If the rage of a Heavenly Dragon was unleashed, what would happen? And what kind of outcome would it give that person? Ise-kun — with an empty look in his eyes said
“……So that’s how it is, Vali. I can finally understand your thoughts and feelings from the bottom of my heart.”
Suddenly, Ise-kun turned his gaze towards Crom Cruach. “…Crom Cruach, why didn’t you get there sooner…”
“I only went over to that place for the sake of observing Ophis.”
Ise-kun listened to his succinct reply, and then approached him directly, grabbing his chest. “…You, weren’t you always keeping an eye on Ophis? Didn’t you want to learn what a dragon was from Ophis…!? Well, why, why did such a thing happen…!”
“……”
Towards Ise-kun’s question, the Evil Dragon didn’t answer. Rias-zenbuchou inserted herself in between the two of them, causing them to separate. “Please stop, Ise. | text_20 |
Even if you try to pursue him for that now, it won’t change anything.”
Rias-zenbuchou allowed Ise-kun to calm down a bit, but Ise-kun’s aura was still bursting out of him as he yelled
“…I know that! I know all that! But, but…! Damn it! Tou-san, kaa-san are…! That bastard…! That bastard Rizevim…!”
Due to Ise-kun’s anger, he had begun to lose himself. We could also understand his feelings. Most of the people here had been under the care of Ise-kun’s parents, and lived together with Ophis. By putting their lives in danger, it certainly provoked our anger. Even I…also felt intense anger! —But, continuing this would result in nothing. Absolutely nothing. If things continued like this, Ise-kun — he would become the same as I was before. Being driven by revenge, completely disregarding what’s important, and ignoring the feelings of those important to him. I grabbed Ise-kun’s shoulder and said
“Calm down, Ise-kun.”
Ise-kun brushed my hand away, and drew near me. With a face full of rage, he grabbed my chest. “…You, are you also telling me to calm down…? When Ophis has been assaulted like this, and when even my parents have been taken away…! ?”
“That is exactly why you need to be calm. This is obviously the enemy’s trap. Not only the hostages, but Ophis as well, it’s to make you lose your cool. If you keep on going like this, you’ll only allow the enemy to succeed.”
Ise-kun continued to hold onto me, and lowered his head. “—Those bastards, I’ll never forgive them.”
…Really, being like this isn’t going to help. I turned the situation around and grabbed Ise-kun, then pushed him against the wall of the room. Facing him, I declared
“…I can’t replace you. Rias Gremory’s [Pawn] can only be you. That’s why I cannot replace you. That’s because my most important friend said this to me — you are Rias Gremory’s [Knight]. That is why I will be a [Knight] to the end.”
That was — the past, before the battle against the rebel Church warriors; the words that Ise-kun said to me when I had lost my composure. I returned these words to him. Realising this point, Ise-kun was surprised, and then he made a wry smile. “…The things of that time, you returned it to me.”
“I won’t tell you not to get angry. But please return to your usual self. If you forget the words which were originally your own, you definitely won’t be able to bring out your own true strength. Hyoudou Issei’s true value, is that he restrains the anger within himself, doesn’t allow his field of vision to narrow, and is able to find openings in his opponents.”
That’s right, you’ve always faced opponents who were above you; even if your own strength is known by your opponent, you would still aim for their openings. Hyoudou Issei always faces his opponents head on, and always chases his opponent’s weaknesses with the ultimate attack and defence. —If you lose your way, that’ll only be doing as your opponent wants. Not wanting to see him become like that, I had to stop him. “Also, it’s not just you who’s feeling sadness for your parents.”
I turned my gaze towards Asia. Ise-kun also followed my gaze. Standing there was a girl who had been crying ceaselessly. “…Asia.”
Seeing the crying Asia, Ise-kun’s eyes finally seemed to have regained a bit of their usual colour. Asia sobbed as she recounted
“…For me, they’re the otou-san and okaa-san that weren’t easy for me to get. Ise-san, I also…”
Asia broke into tears. For someone without a single relative like her, it certainly wasn’t easy for her to obtain ‘family’ in this world. She had obtained people whom she could call haha and chichi. —It wasn’t only Ise-kun who felt pain and sadness when his parents were taken away. Seeing Asia like this, Ise-kun shook his head and covered his face with his hand. “…About what I said. I’m sorry, Asia. I’m sorry, everyone…”
It seemed like he had finally regained his composure. Ise-kun turned around and said to me
“—Kiba, it’s good to have you.”
That was my line. You’ve helped me more than a few times. That thing doesn’t even count as anything significant. It’s just returning one small favour of the many that I owe you. When Ise-kun had calmed down, someone knocked on the door. Going over to see who it was, we found that it was actually Kuroka and Le Fay-san. “Ara, were you busy nya~?”
“Ah, hello everyone.”
After their simple greeting, Azazel-sensei asked the two of them. “Kuroka, Le Fay, where did you guys go? Although I heard that you were together with Vali…”
Kuroka didn’t wait for sensei to finish and interjected
“Well, we were together just then. From there, after we got hold of some important information, we hurried back over as soon as we could nya~”
Kuroka looked at all of us and said
“—We’ve roughly confirmed the location of those guys’ hideout, Agreas.”
[“—What! ?”]
Everyone was shocked to hear this information! Qlippoth’s base was in the floating city of Agreas! That place had finally been found—. After sensei heard this report, he couldn’t help laughing. “What good timing, Kuroka. As the saying goes, ‘having borrowed, one must return’. It’s our turn to take action!”
That was right. We wouldn’t let ourselves be bullied by them in silence. Starting from that, we began the meeting to discuss our battle strategy for the operation which would take place in Agreas—. The strategy plan for the Agreas battle operation was left to strategists like Azazel-sensei and Sona-zenkaichou to formulate. I — Hyoudou Issei returned to my own room, and began making preparations for the battle. Just then, a photo on the desk caught my attention. It was a photo of me, my parents, and Asia. It was taken last year in front of our house when Asia moved in with us. I — leaned my head against the wall, and then slowly sank down. …If I had gone fishing together with them, that wouldn’t have happened, right? No, that would’ve resulted in a situation in which I wouldn’t have been able to meet Ravel…but, at the least I needed to say something to my parents! Yes, why didn’t I consider such a situation? Precisely because the enemy is that kind of a dangerous bastard, it’s no surprise that my parents would be targeted! Somewhere in my mind, I kept on imagining that my parents were very ordinary people of this world who were not related to the supernatural. I believed that even if I reincarnated as a Devil, they would still be able to live an ordinary life in the human world. —That goal of that group of bastards was that, completely trampling over everything I thought of. …While I had no words to say, in my heart, I thought…I hope that tou-san and kaa-san are safe. My anger towards those bastards was endless, I wouldn’t forgive them. —I will definitely bring those two back. While I made such a resolve, someone knocked on the door. The person who walked in was — Ravel. “Ise-sama…”
Having walked into the room, Ravel looked at me with a worried expression. “What is it, Ravel? Don’t you need to rest?”
I smiled as I looked at her, but her face was still clouded with unhappiness. | text_20 |
“Well, it’s already fine. Compared to that…I really made you worry. And I wasn’t by your side when you had your career consultation…I was useless in all the crucial moments, as your manager I’m too ashamed…”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s enough that Ravel is safe.”
“B-But…I couldn’t do anything at all during all the critical moments…! During the [Devil Uprising], the unrest in Romania, that time with Auros, and even this time…! I’m supposed to be your manager, yet I can’t stay by Ise-sama’s side…. If that hadn’t happened to me, Ise-sama’s parents wouldn’t have…”
Ravel poignantly cried. Although she covered her face with her hands, streams of tears still flowed down her face through her hands. …So she was actually concerned about such a thing. She had clearly been helping me all along, but Ravel kept on thinking that she couldn’t accompany me in those crucial situations. I — quietly approached her, and then hugged her tightly. “You’re wrong about that, Ravel. Precisely because I had Ravel waiting for me, I was able to face the enemy and fight with confidence, you know? So, don’t cry.”
“……I will always, always accompany Ise-sama by his side. Regardless of whether it’s a hundred years, a thousand years, or even the more distant future—”
“Thank you. Since you’ve said that, Ravel, I’m not going to die.”
I hugged my cute manager even more tightly, and I vowed
“—Definitely, we’ll come back to live with everyone.”
“…Yes!”
I felt that being able to hold Ravel, who was safe in my arms, was really nice. Yeah, I definitely can’t die. Nor will I let anyone else die. —Tou-san, kaa-san, I’ll definitely come to save you! The battle strategy meeting had concluded, and it had been only been about half a day since Kuroka had passed that information on to us. The members of [DxD] were all gathered in the room underneath the Hyoudou household where a gigantic transportation magic circle had been drawn. The members included the Gremorys, Sitris, Irina, Griselda-san, and Dulio of the [Brave Saints], Slash Dog’s Ikuse-san, Kuroka and Le Fay. This time’s battle would be — a surprise. At this stage, the enemy still believed that we were looking for the location of Agreas and had yet to ascertain it. If we didn’t make any miscalculations, it would result in an unexpected attack for Qlippoth that would be outside their expectations. For us, this was the pre-emptive strike. It was Vali’s tenacity which finally led to the discovery of the wherabouts of Agreas. Otherwise, the floating city which had been transported there and could move wouldn’t have been so easy to find. …Thinking about it, that guy wouldn’t be together with us; he was probably going in alone to find out where Rizevim was hiding. Sairaorg-san and Seekvaira-san who weren’t present here were on standby in the Underworld in case anything happened. However, if it was a suitable time, they would also join up with us to fight. This time, right after we would be transported through the magic circle, we would immediately begin the battle in the city of Agreas. Azazel-sensei looked at us as he said
“Kuroka told me the approximate coordinates of where Agreas has stopped. —Ajuka will also help in transporting us over there. But his transportation magic can be considered as a special type, so the number of people that he can transfer at a time is limited. But, without his magic, it won’t be possible to break through the barrier to transport us to Agreas.”
I also noticed that the magic circle on the ground looked different to the ones in the past. So it was Beelzebub-sama using his magic to control it. Although he wasn’t here in person, he was able to control the magic circle from a distance. He was even using an especially powerful type of transportation magic…but, without doing at least this, it wouldn’t be possible to attack Qlippoth’s base. Sensei continued
“The first team — is a diversionary unit.”
Sona-zenkaichou and the Sitri peerage took a step forward. “That will be done by us Sitris. We’ll definitely get the enemy’s attention and then create an opening.”
“I will also go.”
First it would be the Sitri household, Dulio, and Sister Griselda (+ several [Brave Saints] members) who would enter the city and cause confusion. That would be in order to draw the enemy’s attention—. Sensei turned towards Rias. “The second team will be the main force. Rias, Ise, and the members of the Occult Research Club.”
That’s right, we would be the main force. After we transported over to Agreas, I would rescue my parents, and we would also weaken Qlippoth’s forces as much as we could. Rias nodded. “Yes, I understand. After all, I am going to be taking care of ogifu-sama and ogibo-sama. The people who are their own family members should go to save them.”
Everyone in the Occult Research Club nodded in agreement. “And then Tobio, you’ll go together with Rias’ group. As soon as you arrive, immediately begin supporting them from the shadows on your own. —As for me, I’ll be going over after you guys. I’ll head into the power generation rooms inside Agreas. If I’m able to stop it, then I’ll stop it.”
Azazel-sensei also planned to charge into that place. Yes, if he could stop Agreas, it would be best to do so. We couldn’t allow that sacred Rating Game location to continue to be exploited. That was the place where Sairaorg-san and I had once fought each other—. Sensei turned around to ask Le Fay
“Le Fay, what about that guy Vali?”
“He and the other members are on standby near Agreas. If you don’t move carefully, Agreas and Vali-sama’s osofu-samamay escape.”
Vali and Bikou were currently keeping an eye on it. Kuroka began to giggle. “Since you’re going to attack, you plan to get rid of them in a single assault rather quickly right? For Vali, it wasn’t easy for him to finally catch the enemy’s tail, so he definitely won’t let them get away again nya~”
So he had prepared his determination to such a degree huh. However, we also had the element of surprise, so it would be a good opportunity. I as well, since I was going there, I could settle things with those bastards. But sensei seemed to have a slightly doubtful look, as he held his chin with one hand. “Thanks to Vali’s persistence, we found their hideout…saying that isn’t wrong. However, Rizevim’s actions have been too conspicuous this time. While the act of targeting Ophis and kidnapping Ise’s parents isn’t a bad move, it seems too impatient for a conspirator like that bastard. It feels like he’s very anxious. Or did he want us to think this way and make such calculations…?”
I didn’t quite understand what sensei was thinking about… Since sensei noticed that everyone’s attention was focused on him, he refreshed himself and warned us
“Anyway, you all have to be careful. That bastard isn’t just any ordinary guy. We don’t know what sort of things he’ll pull. You need to pay attention to every step. Even in the worst scenario, we need to rescue Ise’s parents out of there!”
“Yes!”
We earnestly replied in unison. | text_20 |
Sensei then made a bold smile and said to us
“But, remember this point well. —Those bastards have entered the sanctuary that they shouldn’t have entered. They’re a group of bastards who deserve to die. We absolutely cannot forgive them. If you’re able to defeat them, then turn them into dust. I’ll allow it.”
“Yes!”
That was obvious! Since they’ve attacked us, we’ll retaliate just as hard! —Vali, if you were going to come, couldn’t you have come earlier? I could drop everything just to destroy to those bastards! While I was becoming more and more determined, the first team consisting of the Sitri household and others began their preparations to be transported—. The surprise battle on Agreas had begun! When we arrived, the sound of explosions could be heard everywhere. Accompanied by the loud sounds of explosions, the ground was also shaking violently. The location that we arrived at was the west side of the city’s central plaza. Nearby there was a vast park, with many trees planted there. Looking up, several clouds of smoke could be seen in the distance. It seems like the Sitri household, Dulio, and the others who arrived just before us were going wild. Arriving together with us was Slash Dog’s Ikuse-san. He and the black dog — Jin moved forward together. “Sorry, but I need to do my own job. —I wish the rest of you good luck. Hyoudou Issei-kun, you absolutely must rescue your parents.”
“I will!”
Having confirmed my answer, Ikuse-san and Jin swiftly left the scene without even the slightest noise. After all, he had received instructions from Azazel-sensei to do support work in secret. “Let’s go!”
Under the command of Rias, while in the floating city of Agreas that Rizevim was on, we advanced towards the Government Office. It was in the northwest corner after exiting the park. Familiar with the location, Rias lead, and we followed after her. We didn’t fly in the air since we wanted to avoid being seen. Looking up at the sky, we could see a countless number of mass-produced Evil Dragons flying towards the diversionary unit. …This was indeed the base of Qlippoth; there were an unimaginable number of them. Moving through the park, we stayed under the shadow of buildings to advance without drawing any attention to ourselves. After several minutes—. We arrived in front of the high-rise building. It was a building with a very unique design. It was Agreas’ Government Office. We stayed under the shadow of a building that was a short distance away from the Government Office and observed the surroundings. There were numerous Evil Dragons surrounding the Government Office on standby. In the sky above, just as many Evil Dragons were circling about. “…Well, what are we going to do next?”
Rias had considered bursting directly into the Government Office. The Evil Dragons which were in front of the Government Office were within our expectations. Regardless of whether we launched a frontal assault or a surprise attack, it was inevitable that the enemy would guard their own strongholds. While we were thinking of what our next step would be, Koneko-chan pinched her nose and said
“…It stinks. It looks like we’ve been discovered.”
Koneko-chan pointed to a certain place. In the middle of a myriad of Evil Dragons, a long and slender snake-like creature appeared, it was a dragon with black scales. It’s dense and powerful aura was on a level that couldn’t be compared to the mass-produced Evil Dragons. —It was Níðhöggr. The instant I saw that figure, my anger immediately resurged. …It did that to Ophis…it did that to tou-san and kaa-san…. In order to stop me from getting carried away due to my anger, Kiba placed his hand on my shoulder, and Asia held onto my hand. …I know, it’s supposed to help me calm down right? Ah, I’m fine. —Thank you. I thanked Kiba and Asia in my mind. After I took a deep breath, I allowed myself to calm down. But, that bastard didn’t care at all and called out towards us, though we didn’t want to expose ourselves. Guha, guhehehehe. COME OUT ALREADY! YOU GUYS ARE OVER THERE! >>
…They already knew. We all looked at each other, and then nodded. We readied our respective weapons, and I also speedily wore my armour. After finishing our preparations for a fight which could start at any time, we quickly moved to the front of the Government Office. Upon seeing Níðhöggr’s ugly face, we couldn’t help understanding the reason why Koneko-chan previously said that ‘It stinks’. …A nasty smell wafted out of Níðhöggr. Everyone put on an expression of disgust. Ddraig said in a voice that everyone could hear
[—Níðhöggr.] After hearing Ddraig’s voice, the Evil Dragon deepened the smile on its ugly face, which caused everyone to become even more disgusted. You there, you’re Ddraig? Guhehe. Long time no see, you’ve actually become rather small. >>
I took a step forward, and asked Níðhöggr
“…So you’re the bastard that caused Ophis to end up like that?”
After hearing my question, the Evil Dragon laughed nastily. Guhe, guhehehe. That’s right, Lucifer’s son told me that there was an extremely tasty dragon egg. He then sent me in there. After that, I found that Ophis who had become small was in there. I told her to give the egg to me, but in the end I got rejected. But that egg is truly a very delicious egg, so I wanted to snatch it. Yes yes, your father and mother, Lucifer’s son gave them to me. As soon as I showed them to Ophis, she actually quietened down. It was really amazing. Don’t you think so? >>
…I see, it was exactly the same as what was recorded in the video…. That bastard’s shrill voice continued. And then, I beat Ophis really hard without holding back! And then, Ophis looked like she was going to let me do as I pleased, and she didn’t fight back at all. So I took advantage of that and beat Ophis even harder! >>
… Níðhöggr spoke of its atrocities against Ophis with a smile on its face. I…was furious; I couldn’t bear it any longer. I quietly began the chant for the true crimson armour. Níðhöggr didn’t take any notice of me at all; it still had a gleeful look on its face, and its fetid saliva continued to drool out of its mouth as it continued speaking. Because that Ouroboros Dragondidn’t show any resistance at all, I happily beat her up over and over again, I kicked her over and over again, and I stomped and bit on her; I was sooo haapppy >>
I was so mad that I was my fists were trembling as I clenched them… —…Ah, ah, that bastard…I’ll destroy it so hard that not even a scrap will remain! Rias and Kiba both…both didn’t stop me anymore. One step, one more step and I would be right in front of that Evil Dragon. I held onto the firm resolve that I had already established. Níðhöggr still spoke with pleasure as it disregarded the people who were around it. Guhehehehe. That was really too cool. It was simply far too cool! But, I didn’t get to eat the egg so I’m feeling very hungry. Since this is a rare opportunity, why don’t you let me eat you? | text_20 |
Eating the meat of a little Ddraig wouldn’t be too bad right? Oh, yes. I should also eat your father and mother while I’m at it! >>
……. …………. …Ah, good, this bastard — it’s an absolutely heartless evil being which is rotten to the bone. I clenched my jaw, squeezed out a few words. “…I see, it’s enough for me to know that.”
For the crimson armour, I quietly finished chanting the last part. “—And I will lead you to the Path of Heaven, glowing in deep crimson light”
[Cardinal Crimson Full Drive!!!!] With my entire body encased in crimson armour, I concentrated an enormous amount of aura into my fist. “Since you want to eat, I’ll let you eat your fill.”
[Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!!] The sound of my power doubling echoed out, and the dragon’s aura which had been multiplied was focused all onto my right fist! [Solid Impact Booster!!!!] “—Have a good taste of my fist!”
I thrust my right arm which had swelled up in size due to the Solid Impact upwards! Níðhöggr created a defensive magic circle in front of it—. My fist was full of momentum and rage; it easily shattered that bastard’s defensive magic circle, and then smashed directly into its face in an instant. The sound of the attack impact was extremely powerful. My single punch sent the massive Níðhöggr flying. That bastard was blown right through the entrance of the first floor, but the momentum didn’t stop there, and it continued all the way to the back of the building. Using that opportunity, my nakama began to fight against the mass-produced Evil Dragons. At the entrance to the Government Office, the melee began. “Holy Lightning Dragon!”
Burraahh! >>
Akeno-san summoned multiple Holy Lightning Dragons as she flew in mid-air, and almost instantly burnt a great number of the mass-produced Evil Dragons. Gasper directly turned into a beast, and summoned numerous monsters in the surrounding area. “I’ll destroy you.”
“That’s right, this is a crucial moment!”
Koneko-chan’s Kasha attacks and Rossweisse-san’s magic attacks overlapped with each other and exterminated many of the mass-produced Evil Dragons. Facing such a vast number of Evil Dragons, my nakama were fiercely facing off against them; they really were a reliable bunch of nakama! After only a brief period of time, Níðhöggr flew out from the rubble, and cried out at the same time. OOOWWWWWWWWW! IT HUUUUURRTTSSS! >>
That bastard’s face had become distorted after just a single punch of mine, and it was obviously that bones were broken. Níðhöggr came out from the Government Office, and looked at me with a furious expression. W-What the hell! Y-You damned little Devil! I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely swallow you up! >>
…Ah, that’s if you can do it. “Then let me see you do it!”
I rapidly flew forwards, and attacked at a speed that Níðhöggr couldn’t even register! Facing its abdomen, I threw a punch! After it stumbled back, I landed a kicked its hind legs. And then, I kept on kicking its back! After that, I gave it several more fierce blows to its face. Guha! Guh! >>
That bastard didn’t have the strength to fight back against my high-speed movement and attacks. It gracelessly spat fresh blood out of its mouth. …It dared to hurt my important friend — it did something like that to Ophis. Do you think it’s settled with just that…? You also used my parents as hostages, and threatened Ophis…. I definitely won’t let you go with just this! I seized Níðhöggr’s throat with my arm which had thickened due to Solid Impact. “Beating over and over again, kicking over and over again…that’s what you said.”
Níðhöggr shook its large body and freed itself from my grip. It flew back slightly, and then used its momentum to charge towards me while it readied its front paws as it targeted me. I’ll flatten you! >>
It planned to stomp on me huh…would I be crushed by you so easily!? I flashed past its front paws, and launched another Solid Impact at its face. “Don’t bully my family’s Dragon God-sama, you bastard!”
GOOON! It was the sound of another strong hit. With another one of my powerful blows, I sent that bastard flying into the Government Office again! At that time, Rias unexpectedly stepped forward. Standing beside me, she said
“—Ise, that’s good. We’ll use that technique to end it. If I don’t do something like this to that Evil Dragon, I won’t be satisfied.”
“…That huh. I understand!”
In response to Rias, I allowed the wyverns to emerge from each of the gems of my armour. The wyverns which flew out responded to my thoughts, and released a brilliant red light as they began to circle around Rias! Rias and I started to synchronise our aura and breathing. …It was the combination technique that Rias and I practiced a countless number of times in the swimming pool below the Hyoudou household and at Rating Game venues—. When Rias’ red aura and my red aura became one, the wyverns invoked a miracle! One of the wyverns attached itself onto Rias’ right hand! —At the same time, the wyverns began to decompose into different shapes! That was — a gauntlet! The wyverns connected themselves end to end successively, now attaching onto Rias’ body, and gradually formed a layer of armour! After all of the wyverns had latched on, what appeared there was — the [Crimson-haired Ruin Princess] dressed in crimson armour. That’s right, this was my combination technique with Rias! By attaching the wyverns onto Rias’ body, a female version was created — Rias’ personal Boosted Gear Scale Mail. With Rias and I clad in armour, we readied our stance together, and cried out
““—[Crimson Extinct Dragonar]!””
That was the name of our combination technique! “Rias! Let’s go!”
“Yes! Let’s go!”
We made cues to each other, and then flew forwards at high speed. Like two streaks of crimson light, we flew towards the Government Office that Níðhöggr just flew out of. Rias and I engaged in a union of melee attacks and destructive magic, which forced Níðhöggr to continue suffering an innumerable number of blows. Rias, who was currently wearing armour had her magic power enhanced by the power of the Sekiryuutei, and was even more powerful than usual. Like this, if we continued to attack in combination with each other, even a legendary Evil Dragon would be a cinch. …Gah! Guaaahhh! OOOWWWW! >>
Níðhöggr was thrown into the sky by my full-powered uppercut as it moaned in pain as a result of our endless assault. It looked like our combination technique was really effective in its first real combat use! This combination technique, although it had several limitations, Rias was able to use the Sekiryuutei’s Boost, Transfer and Penetrate abilities. That is to say, Rias and I were able to use the Sekiryuutei’s power to fight separate enemies, and each of us could use different abilities. | text_20 |
Although, as long as we used this, I wouldn’t be able to use the wyverns, and there was also a time limit for Rias… Having received my uppercut, Níðhöggr heavily slammed into the ground when it fell; its entire body then began to become shrouded in a faint light. After that, as if nothing had happened to it, it stood up again! Guhehehehehehe! I’ve revived! >>
The Evil Dragon’s disgusting smile emerged on its face again! The wounds that it had suffered until now were all gone! …That pale light, and the changes in that Evil Dragon…it was familiar! “Phoenix Tears! ?”
That’s right, they were Phoenix Tears! That bastard triumphantly showed several small vials to us in its hand — Phoenix Tears. It really is a convenient item. The injuries that I had just now have all been healed! I won’t let you have your way again, I definitely won’t forgive you guys! >>
In its anger, a black miasma burst out of Níðhöggr’s entire body. …I see, they were secretly producing Phoenix Tears. That’s why they could use it. Rias and I readied ourselves again as we confronted Níðhöggr. “—That miasma, it’ll cause damage as soon as it touches your body.”
“Since it’s come to this, we’ll just have to beat it until it runs out of Phoenix Tears! I’ll fight to the very end!”
That’s right, it would be fine as long as Rias and I could beat it until it had no more Phoenix Tears left! Right now, that was definitely possible! Just as we were charging ahead—. A man inserted himself between Níðhöggr and us. “—Those words are truly like those of a dragon. Hearing it even makes me delighted.”
A man wearing a black coat — it was Crom Cruach! That guy, why would he be here? Although I was doubtful, he didn’t mind me as he said to Níðhöggr
“Níðhöggr…you really are too naïve.”
Watching Níðhöggr who continuously released miasma from its body, Crom Cruach sighed. “…Crom Cruach, why are you here?”
He ignored Rias’ question. Níðhöggr then looked towards Crom Cruach. Guhehehe! If it isn’t Master Crom! Although I was a little scared during our last encounter, together with me, you and I, let’s swallow these guys up— >>
DOON! It was the sound of a clean and crisp hit. Looking towards the source, Crom Cruach’s right arm had actually transformed into a massive dragon’s claw, and struck Níðhöggr directly in the face while it had its guard down. OWWW, IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH! W-Why would you hit me!? >>
Fresh blood splattered out of its mouth as it cried out in pain. Crom Cruach twisted his neck, and the sound of his flexing muscles could be heard. “…You, you guys are too fond of playing little tricks.”
Even after being bathed in Níðhöggr’s miasma, Crom Cruach still courageously said those words. “I originally intended to learn what a dragon was by observing Ophis. But you would hinder me — well, I can destroy you until not a single speck is left can’t I?”
Crom Cruach looked up towards the sky — no, he was looking at the top floor of the Government Office, as he shouted these words to that bastard
“Rizevim Livan Lucifer, did you see that? Even if you want to control many Evil Dragons, you are mistaken.”
With his coat fluttering, Crom Cruach bluntly asserted that after his confrontation with Níðhöggr. “A true dragon will not be constrained from its birth till its death; it will live only according to its own will. That is what is known as a dragon!”
All of a sudden, Crom Cruach turned his eyes towards me and the pointed to the top floor of the Government Office as he said
“—Go.”
—Huh. I was surprised by Crom Cruach’s actions. Does that mean, this guy…wants to deal with Níðhöggr by himself? “…Is that okay?”
I asked in confirmation. “……”
As usual, it was his silent reply. “…I’m really sorry about before.”
Seeing me bow my head to apologise, he shook his head. “—There’s no need. Since you’re a Heavenly Dragon, there’s no need for you to lower your head to an Evil Dragon like me.”
I couldn’t say anything in return. Rias nodded as she faced me — and Asia as she said
“Ise, Asia! Leave this place to us, you two guys go first! Please go and save ogifu-sama and ogibo-sama as their ‘son’ and ‘daughter’!”
—Yes! Rias…! She told Asia and I to go save my parents. …Yes, that’s right. That role — was only for me and Asia. I looked towards Asia. “Although it’s dangerous, do you want to come?”
Asia’s eyes were filled with strong determination as she nodded. “—Let’s go.”
…Alright, that was simple then. I expanded my dragon wings, and lifted Asia into my arms as I prepared to fly off. I need to get to the top floor quickly! But the sky was completely black in colour as a massive number of mass-produced Evil Dragons were circling about. In order to reach the top floor, it looked like I’d have no choice but to break through the middle of them. Perhaps having just been on the top floor watching Crom Cruach, that cold dark aura — Rizevim’s aura came over to us from the rooftop. Having experienced that bastard’s aura, it was a chilling and evil aura which was impossible to forget. When I had held Asia with a princess carry and was about to fly out, the mass-produced Evil Dragons grouped together and rushed towards us. But they didn’t reach us. —They were slashed through by a holy-demnoic sword with a dense and calm aura. In a single instant, three slashes were made—. With such godly speed, it seemed as though a single sword had split into three and attacked in different directions. — Sandanzuki, it was a technique that Kiba had released. It was a technique of the former Shinsengumi captain Okita Sōji. Although he had forbidden himself from copying his mentor’s sword techniques, after his feelings about it changed, he was able to use if perfectly. Kiba’s favourite techniques were originally his high-speed combat skills. Sandanzuki was one of the most skillful techniques of them all. Right in front of us, a horde of Evil Dragons had been sliced apart by three powerful strikes. Kiba held up his holy-demonic sword as he said to me
“Ise-kun, hurry up and go! Xenovia, Irina, I want you to come and accompany them!”
In response to Kiba’s call, Xenovia and Irina ran over after they struck down the Evil Dragons they were dealing with using their holy swords. “Leave it to us! We’ll guard Asia well!”
“We’re known as the Church Trio! Xenovia and I will escort you up there, Asia!”
Xenovia and Irina pat grabbed onto my shoulder. Just as I was about to start flying, Níðhöggr aimed a magic circle at me as it prepared to attack! NO, I WON’T LET YOU GO! >>
Did it plan to fire a magic attack at me!? —Just as it did, it’s attack was dispersed by a the powerful aura that Crom Cruach released. “Your opponent is me. —It’s been a long time since I’ve let people see it, but I’ll let you experience it today.”
Crom Cruach released an unprecedented aura that was far greater than it did before. Everything in the vicinity began violently shaking. | text_20 |
The members of the Occult Research Club and the mass-produced Evil Dragons who were fighting against each other all stopped and turned their attention towards Crom Cruach. Surrounded by everyone’s gaze, Crom Cruach’s body began to change. His arms, legs, back, and then his head; they all changed into the appearance that a dragon would originally have. His whole body radiated a black and gold aura. His two wings spread rapidly; there stood an enormous, grand and majestic dragon—. The Evil Dragon of Evil Dragons had liberated his original form. His breathing was accompanied by light flames. [—Known as the strongest Evil Dragon, this is the strength that I possess!] With both his wings wide open, it was an awe-inspiring look that people wouldn’t be able to help but feel fascinated by. When Níðhöggr saw Crom Cruach’s true form, its body began shivering, and its mouth also couldn’t help shivering. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhh! >>
Níðhöggr let out a scream. The black aura which enveloped Crom Cruach’s entire body was the real deal. I…I also felt scared for a moment. If I had to fight against him — no, I now deeply understood that he wasn’t an opponent that I could fight against right now… Crom Cruach pointed to something in Níðhöggr’s trembling hands; they were the Phoenix Tears that Níðhöggr was holding. Crom Cruach imposingly said something which suited a dignified dragon’s style
[How many of those so-called Phoenix Tears are there? Ten? Twenty? In front of me, Crom Cruach, enjoy using them. —But, I’ll definitely kill you over a hundred times! I’ll chase you down relentlessly until your consciousness perishes!] Níðhöggr could do nothing but tremble all over. I couldn’t blame it for being afraid of death. Although it could revive after being killed several times due to its greed, the Evil Dragon before our eyes wasn’t an ordinary opponent at all; the difference was too far apart. It didn’t stand a chance at all. Guuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! >>
Níðhöggr had tears streaming down its face while it continued to drool as it awkwardly tried to attack Crom Cruach. —However, the dragon which was known as the strongest Evil Dragon threw a straight punch directly at Níðhöggr as it moved forwards. Níðhöggr’s massive body was sent flying. Whilst being propelled away, Níðhöggr knocked several buildings down with its body on the way. …So that’s what his punch was like. It was like Sairaorg-san’s, no, it was in a class even greater than that! I pulled myself together again, and turned my attention back towards flying. Although it would be nice to watch Níðhöggr and Crom Cruach’s fight, the most important thing right now was to rescue my parents! I unfolded my wings, and flew up. In my arms, Asia — bowed and thanked Crom Cruach. “U-Um, thank you so much!”
The enormous Evil Dragon then replied
[—Banana.] “Eh?”
Crom Cruach then lifted the edge of his large mouth; it looked like he was smiling. [Bananas really are nice things.] Being extremely surprised by this, Asia’s eyes began to moisten. “Yes!”
As I flew in the air — I was almost stopped by Crom Cruach’s sudden move. No, I was certainly distracted in that moment. …Like this, it was the third time since Tannin-ossan and Fafnir’s Outrage. ……Damn it, damn it! I wholeheartedly regretted trying to pursue Crom Cruach at home. Although my parents and Ophis had been exposed to danger, I…I really was too stupid! [That guy is a dragon that has been watching the human world for a long time.] As I was reflecting, Ddraig said that to me. [—Partner, you definitely can’t forget Crom Cruach’s appearance just now. That is the ultimate form of an Evil Dragon who has single-mindedly pursued power. —Well, what is borrowed will be returned.] …Yes. Exactly! There are a lot of dragons who are worth learning from—. That’s why I definitely have to become the strongest and greatest dragon — to become the Sekiryuutei! At that time, I’ll definitely surpass Crom Cruach—. Waiting in the air as we flew were a countless number of mass-produced Evil Dragons. “Haaaaaah!”
“Oryaaaaah!”
While holding onto my body, Xenovia and Irina released holy waves at the Evil Dragons which flew past. Although they were struck down one after the other—. “This really is endless!”
“What’s going on? Just how many of them are there! ?”
Faced with the endless onslaught of Evil Dragons, Xenovia and Irina were dumbfounded. Another group of Evil Dragons was now flying towards us! After we had flown about halfway towards the Government Office, Xenovia and Irina respectively opened their Devil and Angel wings and moved away from me. They began an aerial fight. The two of them cut down the Evil Dragons as they shouted
“There are a lot more Evil Dragons up here.”
“Leave this place to us, you guys charge into the interior from that bottom window there and then run up, that may be faster!”
After saying that, Irina released a holy wave with Hauteclere, and destroyed a section of the glass wall. So that’s where you want me to go in. After saying ‘I’ll leave the rest to you’ to the two of them, I hurriedly flew ahead with Asia in my arms. It was true that there were much fewer Evil Dragons here. At most, there were a few small Evil Dragons wandering through the corridors. While still in a position where I was holding Asia, I continued to run ahead. Even if there were Evil Dragons here, I ignored them, and focused only on running towards the top floor. At that time, a voice was projected out of a loudspeaker within the building. [Good day, members of the Underworld. I am Diehauser Belial. My whereabouts were previously unknown, but as you can all see, I am currently safe.] —What! I was surprised by the owner of the voice! It was actually the Champion’s voice! He’s upstairs? Just as I felt surprised, I suddenly halted in front of a particular room. I carefully looked at that room. Placed inside it were several monitors. Displayed on all of the screens was the image of Emperor Belial. …That, was it a live broadcast? Also, he addressed that just now to the members of the Underworld. …Did they hack into the TV stations to broadcast this out to the Underworld…? On the screen, the Emperor continued speaking with a serious expression
“Next, I have something which I must tell everyone. That is — the darkness of the Rating Games.”
—What! …Sure enough, that was what the Champion wanted to convey. The conspiracy behind the Rating Games. I didn’t stay to watch it any longer, and instead continued to move up to the top floor. While I was running, the Champion’s voice continued to reverberate throughout the building. [In my generation, like fast-growing mushrooms, talented young Devils have appeared one after another, struggling at the forefront of the Rating Games. Ranked second, Roygun Belphegor and ranked third, Bedeze Abaddon have learnt from each other that the content of the Games are praised by people.] Upon seeing the stairs, I dashed up them as fast as I could. [But, I have heard of some disturbing news. | text_20 |
Regardless of whether it’s Roygun, Bedeze, or other contestants, they weren’t very outstanding Devils when they were young—. When I first heard about it, I laughed it off; I thought that they were just rumours which had spread as a result of jealousy towards those who had gained results with their talent.] The Champion then lowered the tone of his voice. […But, on a certain day, my cousin Cleria told me that she had obtained some interesting information related to the Rating Games.] —Do you know about the [King] piece, she asked. That’s what Cleria Belial said. Cleria was Rias’ predecessor who used to be in charge of her territory. During the era when the Three Factions were hostile to each other, she was the woman who had fallen in love with a human man, and in the end, she was tragically killed by the higher ups of the Underworld—. [I simply replied ‘Ah, that’s nothing more than an urban legend’. But she continued. ‘In the region of Japan that I’ve been appointed to, Maou Ajuka Beelzebub’s hideout is nearby.’ — she said. It was quite popular amongst some people that Ajuka-sama had been [making the Game] somewhere in Japan due to his interest.] The Champion admonished Cleria. [Don’t bother the Maou. No matter what, don’t carelessly approach that place, alright?] But, having heard stories about contestants and the higher-ups from the Champion since she was young, she was highly interested in it, and began to collect information about it alone. But the investigation into more and more of this information was cut off halfway; Cleria believed that there was definitely something big behind all of it. The Champion’s voice was filled with sorrow. […She, just because of some little story of mine, she was killed. Because I always stayed in the position of Champion, more than anything, I was displeased about the ridiculous reports that the reporters made. She knew everything about me, and she knew that my strength was genuine. …To me, she was a family member more important than anything else…I always regarded her as my own imouto.] Following that, the Champion calmly said
[Speaking of the conclusion, it’s clear that Cleria was erased. —She was eliminated by the government of the Underworld. This wasn’t the decision of the current four great Maous, but the decision of the Old Devils. Because these facts were covered up, I didn’t know about the truth. I was only told that my cousin Cleria had died. …In order to resolve my suspicions, I relied on a certain pipeline, and finally learned the truth.] …Wasn’t she eliminated because she had fallen in love with a human man…? In other words, wasn’t that the reason why the Champion Diehauser Belial joined Qlippoth…? A certain pipeline, by that he meant Rizevim and Qlippoth. He obtained information from them. Emperor Belial continued
[The conclusion is that — the [King] piece exists. And in the photos and information that I am now showing everyone, they have only obtained the strength that they have today as a result of using the [King] piece.] I was afraid that the video being shown to the people of the Underworld right now was the video which we were shown at Ajuka Beelzebub-sama’s place. The information that the Champion obtained by cooperating with Rizevim was the truth behind Cleria’s death and the darkness of the Rating Games. …That information had now been released! The Underworld must be in a state of chaos…! The Champion then told the residents of the Underworld about the darkness of the Rating Games that they didn’t know about—. The Champion also stated the exact things that we heard about from Beelzebub-sama. I quietly continued to advance towards the top floor. This is — his revenge against the Old Devils as the Champion for killing Cleria…! When I had finally reached the observation room of the top floor, the Champion’s broadcast had just ended. The image on the large monitor in front of me became a mosaic of static noise. It was a very spacious looking room. It might even have enough space to serve as the venue for a fight…. When I stepped into the room, Emperor Belial turned around and questioned me. It seems like he noticed my presence a while ago. “…So, Sekiryuutei-kun. What do you plan to do with me? By giving this truthful information to the masses, it’ll be enough to condemn those guys. Moreover, there are also the matters regarding Agreas, and the match with Raiser Phoenix-san…”
I put Asia down, and then stepped forward. I slowly moved closer to the Emperor. …With what was happening in the Underworld, I could only place my trust in the Maou-sama. Beelzebub-sama had also told me that before, so that I could do the things that I had to. In that case, my current mission was—. Rescue my parents safely. “—Anything’s fine in this situation.”
A very familiar voice which would make people feel uneasy came into my ears. Looking over to where it came from, a silver-haired Devil emerged from the shadow of the display equipment. “I have — no, as the son of Lucifer, haven’t I already allowed this, Belial?”
“…Rizevim-sama”
Rizevim pat the Champion’s shoulder, and then turned his gaze towards me. “It seems we meet again after our previous meeting in Heaven, Sekiryuutei. Also — Gigantis Dragon Princess.”
I suppressed my anger as I said to him
“…Yo, son of Lucifer. I really wanted to see you. Well, hurry up and return them, my parents! …And, why would you go after Ophis?”
Upon hearing my question, Rizevim shrugged. “I just wanted Ophis’ assistance all of a sudden, that’s all. Ophis — perhaps it’s more suitable to say Lilith; I wanted to increase her power…. Níðhöggr relied on Aži Dahāka’s magic to enter the underground space of the town that you all live in; at this time, your parents were originally used as hostages, and since it was a friend’s parents who were being used as hostages, even if it’s that Dragon God, she would still reveal openings. But, because there was external interference, that didn’t happen.”
That really was the worst way of thinking, this bastard…! I could feel my anger rising continuously! Rizevim revealed a fearless smile. …But looking closely, he seemed to have dark rings under his eyes, or was it just my imagination? “It’s really nice of you to make it. —There’s also someone else, a highly important guest who has arrived.”
—Ah! I immediately understood what Rizevim was saying. From the other side of the glass wall outside the observation room, a very powerful aura could be felt. With a flash of light, it sped over in the air from quite a distance away! The person who forcefully smashed through the glass wall was Vali, with his entire body clad in pure white armour! As soon as Vali arrived, he faced Rizevim and said
“…You’ve been cornered, Rizevim.”
The corners of Rizevim’s mouth rose as he made a smile. “The last to show up is my lovely grandson. It looks like every one of tonight’s main members have stepped onto the stage.”
…That bastard Rizevim, he was really pretentious! | text_20 |
No matter how gorgeous your words are, you can’t hide your malice! I saw through you a long time ago! I stepped closer to Vali, and asked him
“What about the others?”
“They’re with the people on your side outside, going on a rampage.”
So that’s how it was, they had congregated below. Vali’s aim was Rizevim. But there was also a reason for me. “I suppose you aren’t going to let anyone else interfere. But, let me do this with you. …In a way, I’m also someone involved.”
“…Fine. You’re also considered someone who has suffered similar misfortune. We’ll fight together, but don’t get in my way!”
After exchanging my opinion with Vali, we confirmed each other’s intentions. The two Heavenly Dragons readied their posture in front of Rizevim. Rizevim showed a sarcastic smile, and said to us
“Well then, please allow me to introduce the audience for this show.”
Rizevim clicked his fingers, and a transportation magic circle appeared in a corner of the observation room. After the light of the transfer faded, the ones who appeared there were — my tou-san and kaa-san. “—It’s the Hyoudou fusai.”
The two people who were introduced by Rizevim were completely unaware of the situation, and appeared extremely confused. I released the helmet of my armour, and called out to them
“…Tou-san! Kaa-san!”
After noticing my voice, my parents looked over at me. “…I-Ise…? Why are you wearing such a strange thing on your body? And why is Asia also here?”
“…From the beginning, this silver-haired man has been saying some strange things. Your kaa-san and I are both confused. Just what is happening…?”
……. …Based on kaa-san’s words, I knew what kind of understanding that the two of them had about the current situation. In other words, the fact that I am a Devil was already—. With vigour, I asked Rizevim
“…Rizevim, you bastard, what the hell did you say?”
That bastard had a carefree expression, and smiled with pleasure. “Nothing much, just some trivial things. Next up is the main topic. As long as you do a real performance, your parents won’t understand the truth about you.”
……That asshole! …He was forcing my parents to watch our battle with their own eyes…fuck him! My heart was violently pounding nonstop, and I couldn’t stop my arms or legs from shaking. —I definitely couldn’t let my parents see me fight with supernatural abilities! But, if I don’t fight, if I don’t win, I won’t be able to save my parents! I had no choice to refuse, I could only fight! …How could this be? Fine, I haven’t had any good excuses up until now! My heart continued to pound wildly against my chest, and at that time, Vali said to me
“I’ll deal with Rizevim. You deal with the Champion.”
After taking a deep breath, I replied
“…I didn’t expect that I’d have to fight against the opponent that I planned to fight against in the future right here…. I really didn’t expect it.”
“…Anyway, both of them are monsters. Even if we switch opponents, it’ll be a tough fight. Since you want to save your parents, show them your unyielding determination to survive.”
“…I already died twice before. If that really happens, I’ll have died three times.”
I reluctantly mocked myself. …But, if the third time that I die is for my parents, then that would be fine. But I didn’t have any intention of dying! After I exchanged a glance with Vali, we each readied ourselves against our respective opponents. I would fight the Champion, and Vali was up against Rizevim. The two people opposite us responded, and lined up. Four people now faced each other. After a brief moment of silence—. Without any further words, the battle began. The first to charge ahead was Vali. He advanced directly towards Rizevim who stood in front of him while clenching a fist enveloped in a massive amount of aura. Although he landed a direct hit, Rizevim easily dissolved Vali’s aura which had been strengthened by his Sacred Gear! Vali staggered. “…Argh, as long as it’s associated with a Sacred Gear, direct attacks won’t work.”
After muttering that, he continued to rush forwards to fight! It was a combination of high speed kicks and punches! But what was surprising was that Rizevim was quickly dodging all of them. Taking advantage of an opening, he counterattacked against Vali! From Rizevim’s back, the wings of Lucifer expanded, and he punched Vali directly in the abdomen with a fist imbued with demonic energy! The instant that Vali was hit by that punch, his armour was shattered as a result of the Sacred Gear Canceller’s effect, and he suffered a direct hit to the abdomen. “…Guah!”
Taking a solid punch, Vali cried out. Blood oozed out from a corner of his mouth, but he readied his posture, and equipped his armour again. It was the same as the time when I fought against Rizevim in Heaven; as long as I took a direct attack, or even just a scratch, he would touch my armour, and I would receive a painful attack! If I used my Penetrate ability, perhaps I would be able to defeat that guy…. But since Vali said that he would defeat him himself, I should focus on defeating the Champion in front of me! The fight on my side began; I reduced our distance, and then began an unrestrained close-combat fight. There were no openings at all. I couldn’t find any at all. Within a brief exchange of blows, every single one of my attacks were effortlessly evaded by him. The gap between our strength was far too wide! I asked the Champion
“…It doesn’t seem like your peerage is here.”
Indeed, the Champion was here by himself. On the way up here, I didn’t encounter any of his peerage members; presumably, this was because he gave the order for his peerage not to follow him here. As I had guessed, the Champion said
“That’s right, I told them to stay outside as they have no need to follow me to this place.”
…So he decided to shoulder the responsibility for all of this himself. That was his so-called duty. He really did possess the qualities of a Champion. [Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost Boost!!] I used the power of Boost to multiply the power of my fist, and thrust it upwards in at once! But, the fist which I had amplified the power of so much was easily evaded. It simply hit the air. I straightened my posture, and attempted to charge forwards again. The Champion touched my fist frontally! Suddenly, the amplified aura which had enveloped my fist instantly vanished! —What! …My power disappeared!? It was invalidated!? No, it was slightly different from Rizevim’s ability! If I was touched by that bastard, even my armour would disappear! Just then, it only felt as if the power of Boost on my fist had disappeared! Seeing this, the Champion said
“—[Worthless]. That is my, the Belials’ ability. I do believe that you’ve heard of it…”
…I see, so that was [Worthless]. The power which could invalidate special abilities—. That’s how he was able to invalidate my Boost ability. Even so, I didn’t stop attacking! I then ramped up the intensity of my attacks. | text_20 |
I madly attacked with punches and kicks in combination with each other, and unleashed potent shots of demonic energy, yet all of my attacks were still invalidated by the Champion with a small gesture. Even when I fired shots of demonic energy, they simply burst into nothingness in the palm of his hands. I enhanced by attacks with [Boost] and [Penetrate] as I continued to attack. But the attacks which had been strengthened with [Boost] were still invalidated by him. Even when I used the ability of [Penetrate], I was unable to hit him; despite counterattacking with [Penetrate] in a blind spot, I was unable to do anything effective. …If I was able to land a direct hit on him with [Penetrate], the damage would be transmitted to him directly! —But, I couldn’t land a hit on him! Every single one of my attacks had been evaded! The Champion’s evasive movements were akin to an elegant dance. Conversely, I was the only one who was sweating profusely in my armour. —The difference between us was simply too big. The opponent wasn’t using his full power at all! This was someone who was Maou-class! The absolute Champion! The top ranker in the Rating Games! If I could use Crimson Blaster or Longinus Smasher then it might be possible. But, I couldn’t even put a dent in the Champion’s confidence! Nevertheless, I didn’t stop attacking, and continued to face Emperor Belial. While avoiding my attacks as if they were a novice’s, he calmly said
“Your attacks are good; they’re straight and direct without a trace of hesitation. I really would like to have a contest against you in a Game.”
“It’s too late for that now! Haven’t you already done what you’ve wanted to do!? As a result of that, the entire Underworld has been plunged into chaos! Your…the Champion’s confession carried such a heavy weight!”
That’s right, after listening to everything that the Champion said, there would definitely be disputes everywhere in the Underworld. Would they think that it was a lie? No, he was the Champion who had absolute support in the Underworld, and that confession was both heavy and realistic. Even if the Champion was associated with acts of terrorism, no, precisely because he was willing to associate with terrorists, it must have been the truth. The people would probably believe that. “Ah, I understand. I completely understand.”
“You didn’t completely understand it!? —Your attacks carry a sense of hesitation with them!”
That’s right, the Champion, he — hadn’t directly attacked me at all! At most, he fought against me by using his ability to invalidate mine. If he really had the intention, the instant that my power was invalidated, he could have given me a fatal injury! The Champion, he — was hesitating in this battle! “…Ku!”
Just when the Champion and I were speaking to each other, Vali had been knocked to floor. He got back up again, equipped his armour again, and confronted Rizevim…if things continued like this, he would eventually be defeated due to exhaustion! If he was able to use Juggernaut Drive, then it would be another story, but simply using that would consume an incredible amount of stamina and demonic energy. Since the opponent had the power of the Sacred Gear Canceller, all that stamina and demonic energy would go to waste if it the transformation was carelessly invalidated. For Vali, fighting like this right now would be his best choice. “Hoho, what is it? Vali. Using attacks like this against your grandfather are useless yo.”
Rizevim said that with a pleased expression…on the other hand, Vali had an extremely dissatisfied expression. Vali extended his right hand out after releasing its armour, and generated several magic circles from his right hand which he then used to fire bursts of magic towards Rizevim. Then Rizevim — didn’t use his cancellation ability, and instead dodged them! Those attacks were purely magic! They didn’t have anything to do with a Sacred Gear, they were pure magic attacks! That guy Vali, he had an outstanding talent for magic! So that’s how it was, he relied on his Balance Breaker armour to reduce the gap in their physical abilities, and then used magic or demonic energy to attack Rizevim. As Vali attacked with magic, he said with a displeased tone. “……This really is an eyesore. As the son of Lucifer, you behave like a Lilin, yet you intend to display some kind of dignified attitude…”
Vali pointed at Rizevim as he spoke. “Your original aura which you’ve tried to hide within yourself, but can’t contain from leaking out is equally sinister and ruthless. Rizevim, you’re evil and malicious to begin with.”
With this pointed out by his grandson, Rizevim stared blankly for a moment, and then laughed ‘hehe’ in a rather evil manner. “If so, how about you, stupid grandson-kun? Could it be that you can’t even win a single battle of revenge against this old and feeble grandfather as a trashy dragon?”
He was even sticking his tongue out; he was still playing around with his usual clownish attitude. Ah, that’s what I also thought. No matter how dignified he made his words and deeds sound, this foolish attitude right now was Rizevim’s true nature. Even if he acted with a Maou’s demeanor, it was nothing more than an act—. As his grandson, Vali had already seen through his grandfather’s true nature. —At that time, Rizevim turned his eyes towards me, and then called out
“Champion-kun! That! Hurry up and use that!”
He suddenly issued an instruction. I watched as the Champion took out a small vial of red liquid from his chest pocket. The Champion, without a single noise, instantaneously disappeared on the spot—. “Gah!”
He was actually grabbing my face…! The distance between us was closed in an instant! The Champion used a finger to open the lid, and with his other hand he forced my mouth open and planned to pour it in. In order to resist, I pushed the Champion away with both hands, but a small portion of the liquid in the vial still entered my mouth! My counterattack missed as the Champion darted all the way to the back of the room! …My mouth was filled with an awful taste, the taste and smell of blood lingered on my tongue, and it felt very viscous. But it also seemed like a familiar taste. My mouth would often be filled with it during battles. Yes, that red liquid was — blood! …I didn’t know what kind of blood it was at all; why did they make me drink it—. Dokun dokun! Then, my heart rapidly began to throb! At the same time, I couldn’t stop my body from trembling all over. Following that, my body began to slowly heat up from the inside, and the heat spread to my entire body! The heat which was generated within my body surprised even me! I couldn’t stand it, and I released the armour on my right arm. Clearly, I had no intention of letting my right arm turn into a dragon’s arm, but it turned into a dragon’s arm by itself. …I knew that I didn’t enhance my dragon’s power. My arms and legs…they turned into those of a dragon! I immediately understood. Yes, that blood was — dragon’s blood! | text_20 |
My dragon’s blood was used in order to enhance Gasper’s ability. Similar to that, the Champion forced me to drink the blood of a dragon. Hence, the dragon’s power within me had increased; my body became hot, and I couldn’t stop my body from changing. My arms had already dragonified, and an abnormal heat was now reaching my head! My helmet then released on its own—
“Hyaa!”
I heard kaa-san’s scream. I looked over at kaa-san, and she looked back at me with an expression as if she was looking at a monster. …What’s going on? While I was thinking about that, I used my hand to touch my own face. …The sensation of touching the human skin that I normally had couldn’t be felt, but what I felt instead was the texture of very rigid skin. Rizevim sent a small magic circle flying towards me. A mirror emerged from that magic circle. I looked in the mirror — my skin had become hard, my eyes had been enlarged, and my teeth had grown out of my mouth; it was a completely alien appearance. …I, even my face started to become dragonified…. In this situation, Rizevim lightly laughed as he gleefully said to my parents
“Please look at this carefully, Hyoudou fusai. This is what that son-shaped thing in front of you looks like — a monster.”
—! …Bastard, he would actually say that right now!? From the very beginning, he planned to have me dragonify, and let my parents see it!? He actually prepared this as some kind of a show!? …This was his payback to me for beating him up in Heaven. That bastard was actually so obsessed about that…fuck! —Seriously, even dog shit would be better than this bastard…! Rizevim continued
“In the spring of last year, your precious son died. This dragon then usurped your son’s position. He lived a false life with you. During the break, didn’t he say to you that he needed to travel away? That was because he needed to go to the world of the Devils. At the end of the year, wasn’t he always busy, and unable to spend time together with you? That’s because he was doing certain activities, as an alien, and as a monster!”
That bastard, he was really enjoying this, he was saying such things with a joyful expression! My parents’ faces were dyed with fear as they looked at Rizevim and me. …I didn’t want to look at the expression on my parents’ faces. “…Please don’t look at me, tou-san, kaa-san.”
…I tried to say such words. If there was a hole in here, I would want to hide in there! With such an appearance, I definitely didn’t want to be seen like this by my parents! Stop it! Please stop! I hope this is all just a dream! Like this…with this…uhh! My…mind collapsed. I could do nothing but cry—. Meanwhile, Rizevim continued to speak with a playful expression
“Tou-san? Kaa-san? Oh ho, did you fusai hear that? That monster still plans to use lies to deceive the two of you, right?”
At this time, standing in front of me, someone shielded me. —It was Asia! Asia had tears streaming down her face as she desperately told tou-san and kaa-san about the situation
“Otou-san, okaa-san! This person is Ise-san! Please, the both of you have to believe this! Indeed, he was reincarnated into a Devil, and he also has the power of a dragon in his body. Even so, it isn’t wrong that he is Hyoudou Issei! Please believe in him! You must…I’m begging you!”
Looking at Asia as she cried, Rizevim smiled as he said
“Hyoudou fusai, this blonde-haired girl is also a Devil. Please don’t be deceived. Things like Devils were originally monsters which used sweet temptations to pull humans into the abyss; presently, you fusai have been lured in by the Devil’s whisper, so it would be better to take note of that.”
……Asia was a good child. …The only reason that Asia died is because of me…. …Tou-san, kaa-san, its fine if you don’t trust me. But, only Asia — you only need to trust Asia…! …I…couldn’t say a thing; bearing such verbal assaults, I could only blindly apologise. “……Sorry. ……Kaa-san, tou-san……I’m sorry……”
…I’m guilty of deceiving you until now. This was my silent punishment. Perhaps this was the moment of my retribution. Because I never told you about being a Devil. No, even if I said so, would my parents believe it? Also, if I did tell them, there was the possibility that I would drag them into the supernatural world. Supposing that was the case…I couldn’t. …However, as a result, my parents were still endangered. That’s right, all of it was my fault! If I never got involved with Raynare, things wouldn’t have become like this. If I was smarter, perhaps I would’ve found a way to live as a human. …But, you know tou-san, kaa-san. I don’t regret becoming a Devil in the slightest. I met many people, and I learnt a lot of things. As a human, those were things which were absolutely impossible to experience. Only this, I’ll definitely never regret. The only thing that I regret is — I never told my parents about my true identity. So, I need to apologise to them. “—I’m truly very sorry, tou-san, kaa-san.”
So, I apologised. That was all I could do. Even if I’m rejected by the those two, even if they cut off our parent-child relationship, that’s also fine. Afterwards, it’ll be fine as long as I can rescue them. Yeah, I definitely need to rescue them. I swear! After I rescue them — I’ll leave. I can’t allow them to be endangered again, I will — obediently disappear. From my parent’s side, I’ll obediently disappear. So, I’m really sorry, tou-san, kaa-san. I burst into tears. I — repented. After I had prepared myself to be rejected by them, a voice was directed towards me. “…You are Ise? Is that right?”
—It was tou-san’s voice. Tou-san walked a little closer to me. Rizevim was shocked for a moment, and then he said with dismay
“Hold on, Hyoudou-shi. You mustn’t be fooled. Telling such stories while showing such emotional tears, it’s something that Devils can calmly do.”
But, tou-san shook his head, and still approached me. “You’re wrong, he is Ise. …That bad habit of apologising is exactly the same.”
Kaa-san then followed behind him as she nodded and said
“Yes, I also know. Even if the appearance of his face has changed, I understand his response. Ise. That child is Ise!”
The two of them — they arrived in front of me and Asia. Having dragonified, I couldn’t properly look at them…but tou-san stood in front of me, and protected me. Standing in front of Rizevim and the Champion, his legs were trembling but he still shouted
“From now on, I won’t let you do anything to my child! If you want to lay a hand on Ise, then you’ll have to send me flying first!”
—Mn! …I was shocked by tou-san’s words. “…For me, when I was born, it was very ordinary, nothing special ever happened. I never thought about doing anything special. I just wanted a plain and ordinary job; I just wanted a normal family; I just wanted to live an ordinary life with that family. Even now, that’s what I want.”
Tou-san clearly asserted. “Whether he’s some Devil or not, or whether he’s some Maou, I don’t know anything about it at all to be honest. | text_20 |
Even in this current situation, I’m confused to the point that I don’t understand any of it. …But, I know one thing; this child is my child! This is obvious, because he’s my Ise.”
Rizevim shook his head, and said to tou-san
“Hey hey hey. Otou-san. You need to take a good look. Does that red creature look like a human to you? Does it look like your son? You, listen carefully. That is a Devil, and that is also a dragon. In other words, it’s a monster.”
“No, he is my child. My Ise. You won’t understand. But, I can understand. That’s because, I’m his parent. These past seventeen years, I’ve been raising this child.”
In response to tou-san’s words, Rizevim sighed. “What have you understood in these mere seventeen years, human-kun? Do you even understand the truth and reality of this world, human? The way to read signs; what can you who cannot even see the nature of one’s aura possibly understand?”
In order to protect me, kaa-san tightly embraced me. “You’re Ise? Ah, I can understand after holding on to you. This child is Ise. That’s because I’ve hugged you many times before, so I understand.”
Tou-san opened his arms, and then made a protective pose as he said—. “—These seventeen years are everything about our family. They’re not trivial things which can simply be explained!”
Kaa-san hugged me as she also appealed
“Yes. This child — is my lovely son.”
“That’s right, even if he looks like this! Even so…even so!”
Tou-san looked at my face, and then heartily said
“—Even if he has reincarnated and his appearance has changed, he’s still my child, isn’t that right?”
—Mn. …………. ……. Tears streamed down my face. They were unstoppable as they trickled down my cheeks. ……I had already made up my mind and resolve that I would be rejected by my parents so I kept on apologising. —But, regardless of whether it was tou-san or kaa-san who looked at me, they still said that I was their child. Even if there really existed something that only a parent could understand, I—. Tou-san hugged me, as well as kaa-san and Asia; we hugged each other together as I cried. “In that case, I’ve got something that’ll be even less pleasing than this. As parents, you’re not very fortunate!”
Kaa-san hugged me and Asia as she called out
“Yes! Even if he’s become like this and he’ll recognise me as his haha…that’s enough!”
Asia — she simply continued to shed tears, and sobbed. Tou-san faced Rizevim, the son of the Maou and bellowed! “This child is our child! We won’t allow you to lay a single finger on him!”
In that moment, my body radiated a warm aura, and it cloaked the four of us together—. Before I had realised — I was floating through a place which seemed like the Dimensional Gap. This is…reality? No, it didn’t feel real. If I had to say what it was like, it was the same as when I saw the world in Akeno-san’s heart during the fight with Loki—. A screen appeared before me all of a sudden. Displayed on the screen was the consultation room of an unfamiliar hospital. Inside were a doctor and…a very familiar male and female couple. Looking carefully, they appeared to be tou-san and kaa-san when they were young!? It felt as though I was looking at the younger version of my parents that I had only seen in photos. What was going on? This space is…tou-san’s and kaa-san’s memories? Could everything in their memories be seen through this display? Was I actually subconsciously using Bilingual with kaa-san…? While my mind began to be filled with such questions, the doctor and my parents on the screen showed a sombre expression. The doctor told my parents
[—I’m very sorry, please give up on the child in your belly.] Hearing this, kaa-san — burst into tears on the spot. Tou-san woefully supported kaa-san’s shoulder. …Was this a scene from the obstetrics and gynecology department? It was a scene that I had never heard about before…. Just as I was lost in this confusion, kaa-san’s voice reverberated within the space. [When I discovered that my body would make it very difficult to give birth to children, it was a few years after I had married my husband. It was always difficult to conceive a child, and it was very difficult to finally become pregnant after all those years. But, because of my body…]
The scenery changed, and it became a familiar living room. It was my old house. Sitting on the sofa, kaa-san was still in tears. [I’m sorry, my dear…]
As kaa-san continued to grieve and cry, tou-san comforted her. [About that — you don’t need to worry about it! Although the unborn child in your belly is very unfortunate, you can’t give up! You can definitely give birth to our baby!] …The child in her belly, their baby…. This, don’t tell me…. Are these the events which occurred before I was born? But, was I not successfully born…? I was confused by this situation that I had not heard of at all. At this time, I heard kaa-san’s voice again. [Two years after that, there was another opportunity.] The scenery changed again. On the screen, kaa-san was gently stroking her own belly with a joyful expression. [This is great! We finally did it! It’s okay! Everything’s okay now!] Tou-san was gleefully hopping up and down around the room. Amidst the vision of these memories, I saw my parents visit a bookstore where they bought many books about birth, and also childcare related books. They had purchased an excessive number of books, and were then immersed in reading them. In order to ensure their child’s successful birth, they went to the obstetrics and gynecology department — the memories of their recurring consultations unfolded in front of me one by one. [In order to ensure the birth of our child, my husband and I paid careful attention this time. We always attached great importance to the child in my belly—]
Once again, the display returned to the scene inside the consultation room of the obstetrics and gynecology department. The doctor solemnly explained to my parents as they had a look of despair on their faces
[Hyoudou-san, although it’s painful for you, it’s definitely not because of the things between the two of you, there are many other factors—]
On the way home in the snow, tou-san stopped in the middle of the road, and faced kaa-san as he spoke to her. […I give up]
Tou-san who had been so excited — burst out crying. [If anything happens to your body again like last time, I…really won’t be able to bear i-it…!] Kaa-san hugged tou-san tightly, as the two people wept in sorrow. [We almost gave up on having children, and instead planned on changing our attitude to adapt to a different lifestyle.] What unfolded before my eyes was just the modest and harmonious life of my parents. The two of them travelled together, they went shopping together,and they went fishing together; they were always together—. My figure was not there. …The figure of my parents’ two children was not there. | text_20 |
[But, in the eighth year that I was together with my husband—]
When tou-san came back from work, he was really given a shock by kaa-san’s report in the kitchen
[A b-baby!? R-Really!?] After tou-san heard this news — with a determined expression, he placed his hands on kaa-san’s shoulders and said
[…I understand now! This time for sure! This time we definitely have to give it everything we’ve got to give birth to this child!] Kaa-san happily began to shed tears while she made a smile. After that, the sight of those two working hard for the birth of their baby emerged again. More than ever before, tou-san read all kinds of books, and kaa-san was even more mindful of her diet. When kaa-san was trying to lift things, tou-san desperately rushed forward to stop her. In order to protect their unborn child, the two of them visited specialised agencies. On a snowy night, tou-san was barefoot in a certain shrine, and had already completed Hyakudomairi. [Please! Please make sure! Please make sure that my unborn child will be delivered safely!] On a freezing, cold and snowy night, tou-san had already bowed his head and prayed over and over while facing the main hall of the shrine. [I don’t care how much of my life you take! It’s fine even if my remaining lifespan is halved! So please, I definitely need it! Protect the child in the womb! Please! I beg of you!] Even if his feet were so cold that they became numb, tou-san still continued to bow and offer his prayer to the god. Tou-san, who prayed to the god…only wished that the child in the womb would be safe. On the screen, the seasons changed, and it had become a warm spring. Kaa-san was lying on a bed in a hospital room, and beside her — the baby that she had successfully delivered was lying there. [It’s a baby boy.] The nurse told tou-san who was still in disbelief. After a brief moment, tou-san finally regained his senses and said
[……Ah, I see…. ……It’s really my child…]
[Yes, it’s the baby of you and me…. It took eight years.] Kaa-san emotionally said as she lied in bed. The nurse then urged tou-san to hold the baby. Seeing the baby in his arms, tou-san smiled widely and tried to hold back his tears as he said
[…………It’s nice to meet you, I, I am your otou-san.] The baby’s eyes finally met tou-san’s eyes. In that instant, tou-san could no longer hold back his tears. Tears streamed down his face as he continued to smile at the baby in his arms. [……Thank you. That you were born…really…thank you…]
Kaa-san and tou-san cried tears of joy together, and she then asked tou-san
[…Have we decided on the name?] […Ah, it’s [Issei]. That embodies the hope that’ll he’ll be able to live an honest life. ] After hearing this name, kaa-san made a weak laugh. […Ah, that isn’t very creative.] [T-This is all I could think of even after trying so hard!] [Ufufu. …But, that name has a good sound. Issei. Ise. My child.] The baby…I was surrounded by the warmth of those two people. [Ah, our child. —Yes, Issei.] What was displayed on the screen afterwards was consistent with my memories. At night, tou-san read picture books to me when I couldn’t fall asleep. When the animals were sad, and when he read a sad story to me, I wouldn’t stop crying. On a certain night, tou-san was away on a business trip. Kaa-san had called tou-san to tell him that I was in the hospital emergency room because I was suffering from a high fever. In the end, tou-san ended his trip early, and then took a flight to hurry back as soon as he could. In primary school, I ran together with tou-san in the parent and child three-legged race, tou-san and I worked hard to aim for first place. In the end, we could only take third place. Afterwards, on one side of the playground, the three people in our family ate fried chicken and tamagoyaki together; the taste from that time was something which I had never forgotten. In middle school, the first time that I put on my uniform, it made my parents really excited. We took quite a few photos in front of the school gate that day. Although I felt a little bit embarrassed about it, my parents seemed happier than ever. …On Father’s Day, I bought tou-san a rather cheap tie, and on Mother’s day, I gave her a floral apron from home education class. But the two of them still treasured those things. Finally, the last scene which appeared was — me on the verge of tears in the corner of a department store when I was young. …I remembered that. Our family of three went to the department store of a nearby prefecture that we rarely visited. I was attracted by a strange item, and got separated from my parents. The people who came and went were unfamiliar faces; with a guilty conscience I decided on one thing, that I would not cry. If I didn’t see tou-san or kaa-san, it would be fine if I just found a place with a large clock and waited for them there—. In order to follow through with this decision, I stood in a square with a clock tower nearby, and waited for the appearance of my parents who would desperately come looking for me. [Chichi-saaaaan, haha-saaaaaan.] When I saw them, I was unable to stand it any longer, and I called out as I ran towards them; our family of three, without minding anyone else tightly embraced each other. [Hey, Ise! You worried me to death!] [Really, didn’t we say that you shouldn’t leave our side!?] [I’m soorrry! I’m sooorrrry!] I was crying as I apologised…. After that, the three of us didn’t separate again as we returned home, hand in hand—. —At that time, the warmth in my hands, I never forgot it. ……Tou-san……kaa-san…uh. …I was prayed for, and I was the child who was born from your hopes. Although your lineage wasn’t special, nor were you wealthy people, I was the child which you two endured struggles to finally have. These memories were surely things that could be seen everywhere. These memories were definitely not experiences which could be called uncommon. Even so…even so, it was my, and my family’s journey over seventeen years. Not a single person was missing; for us three, those were irreplaceable times. Ah, tou-san, kaa-san, I — am the child of you two. I am Issei. The Issei that belongs to the two of you! —I am Hyoudou Issei! …The display of those memories still continued. In the time that the three of us spent together — a blonde haired girl also joined. —It was Asia. Kaa-san’s voice traversed over to me
[We’ve both lived for so long now, yet we were actually able to have such a beautiful daughter.] It was a scene where Asia smiled happily as she spoke to tou-san and kaa-san—. [Supposing that we had a daughter back then, if we were really able to give birth to a daughter, it might be like how we’re living together with Asia right now. I often think that.] Asia said to my parents
[Otou-san, okaa-san]
Upon hearing Asia’s words, both tou-san and kaa-san appeared to be deeply moved. [—We’re truly happy. You’re able to be my — our daughter. | text_20 |
Although I don’t know what happened to this child in the past, this kind child is able to call me her haha. Yes, even so, she really is my daughter.] Thus, we became a family of four, and then we increased by one more person, and another person — before we knew it, there were many people who sat around the dinner table with us. Tou-san and kaa-san looked at this lively house, and smiled as they exchanged a glance with each other. [Hey, my dear.] [What is it?] [It’s no longer just the two of us.] [Indeed, that’s right. We not only have a son. —We also have many more daughters.] [To be able to live such a vibrant life…I’m truly happy.] [The twenty five years that I spent with you—. Although it’s been very long, perhaps it was all for this.] […I want to watch for a little longer.] [Yes, if I could make a wish, I’d want to be able to continue to watch over this family—]
Seeing the figure of my two parents, I covered my face with my hands, and tears silently began streaming down. In that instant, the space broadened, and I was flown out—. ……. …When I awoke, I was aware of the true feelings of my parents. I knew the love which my parents possessed. —I was born and raised from the love of my parents. Even now, they were still watching over me. …My tears would not stop; they couldn’t be stopped at all. I tightly held onto tou-san and kaa-san as I said
“…Hey, tou-san, kaa-san. —I, can I really be your child?”
With radiant smiles filled with happiness, the two of them nodded. “Of course.”
“Ise is our child.”
“……Thank you.”
…Ah…ah. I, I already—. —Yes, I no longer had anything to fear. I knew that my parents still fully accepted me. There was no doubt; they believed that I was their child. …Where else would I be able to find such happiness…? Such a beautiful thing, where else would I find it—. I stood up, and then faced the Champion and Rizevim as I declared
“…Rizevim, and also Diehauser-san, thank you. Thanks to you, today I — no longer have any fears.”
That’s right, I had nothing to fear. I had no need to be afraid! “—The current me is invincible!”
The light which was emitted from the gems of my armour was brighter and more powerful than ever before. The entire observation room was bathed in a red glow, and the shining light became even stronger! I put on my crimson armour once again, and rigorously charged towards Rizevim! “Oooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
The noise came from the bottom of my chest, and an immensely bright light was released from my gems! “Rizevim-sama!”
Just as I was about to hit Rizevim, the Champion stood in front of him, and invalidated my attack! Then, Rizevim followed up with an attack, causing my armour to release! “Die!”
Rizevim kicked me in the abdomen! I was sent flying backwards, and rolled over several times on the floor. …Blood was spurting out from my mouth. …It was insanely painful. It was so painful that I felt as if I would die. —But, the brilliant light from my gems didn’t diminish. A Sacred Gear would respond to the strength of one’s thoughts and desires; if my thoughts became stronger, then my Sacred Gear would also become stronger…! I will fight on for my tou-san, my kaa-san, and Asia! With assistance from Asia’s healing Sacred Gear, my injuries disappeared. Tou-san, kaa-san and Asia were encouraging me
“Ise!”
“Ise!”
“Ise-san!”
…Look, isn’t this powerful? Currently, I was being watched by three members of my family. The radiance from my gems once again burst out with a dazzling light. “Uuaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
Without a single drop of fear, I rushed towards Rizevim! The Champion invalidated my attack, and Rizevim used his Sacred Gear Canceller to remove my armour. He then gave me another blow, and it was the same as last time. I was sent flying onto the floor again. Then — the members of my family took action. With the support of tou-san, I stood up from the floor while kaa-san supported my back. And then, the illumination of Asia’s healing light enveloped me. “Come on, stand up, Ise!”
“Stand up Ise!”
“Ise-san! I’ll heal you!”
Tou-san faced me as he said
“No matter how many times, I’ll help you back up! Because I am — your chichi!”
Okaa-san pat my back as she said
“Give it your best!”
Asia also encouraged me
“Ise-san! Win!”
Ah, I can see it now. This is it. It’s enough if I have them. —As long as I have them, I’ll be able to get back up no matter how many times it is…ah! I had already re-equipped my crimson armour several times, and charged towards the Champion and Rizevim without turning back! “Oorrryaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
Even if the result was the same each and every time, the light which was exuded from my gems still continued to grow more powerful. Even though my stamina was continually drained, and even though my demonic energy was continually exhausted—. “…Just a bit more, Ise! You can do it! If you’re going to keep going, then I’ll go together with you!”
“Then, I’ll do this together with you kaa-san! We’ll beat these bastards together!”
“I also need to go! Because I am also — a member of the Hyoudou family!”
I was being watched by my family. I was well supported by my family. —So, regardless of how many times I needed to get back up, I had to face them no matter what! Let me look cool for once, after all, I am in front of my important family. “…I’m fine. Tou-san, kaa-san, Asia. As long as I have you supporting me, no matter how many times, I will—”
That’s right, no matter how many times, I’ll get up and face them! Rizevim looked at me as I stood back up over and over no matter how many times I was knocked down, and his face was painted with astonishment. “…Why can that guy still stand up?”
Even if I was knocked down by the attacks of that bastard and the Champion, I didn’t give up on standing back up each time. Even if blood spewed out of my mouth, the bones in my legs were fractured, or my arms were crushed, I didn’t take a single step back; I only continued to advance forward! “……”
With a twisted expression, Rizevim asked me
“Hey, why can you still get up? Why do you oppose me? …You already exhausted your energy long ago, right? So why do you still stand up?”
While asking me these questions, Rizevim released my armour again, and sent me flying with a kick again. …Even if I was kicked and sent flying, as long as I had my family supporting me, I could continue to get back up…! Seeing this unfold before him, that bastard had an extremely unpleasant look on his face. “—Damn. ……Why? Why can you still get up!? Why are you able to resist me! ?”
Rizevim snarled. Regardless of whether my demonic energy or stamina had been depleted, I still hobbled straight towards him. Even if my entire body was covered with wounds, the light from my Sacred Gear still did not attenuate. Rather, it continued to release a brilliant light. Seeing me in this state, the Champion — relaxed his stance. “……Rizevim-sama, I can no longer…”
The Champion had a bitter expression on his face. Rizevim became even more agitated. | text_20 |
“Why did you put down your stance!? Get yourself into position! Why would you drop your stance upon seeing someone like that! ?”
“……Do you not understand?”
As the Champion lowered his head, it created a stark contrast to Rizevim’s furious expression. “How is it possible to understand!? It’s the way of thinking of those mere humans!”
Rizevim — turned his attention towards my parents, and then realised all of a sudden. “I see! Your parents are the driving force behind your power! So that’s how you’re able to fight like that, right!? Well!”
Rizevim’s hand began to glow with a mysterious light. “Then allow me to kill them!”
It was an extremely powerful wave of demonic energy, and he began to direct it towards my parents! Bad! This is extremely bad! I wanted to run over to protect my parents, but I had already reached the limits of my stamina; my knees buckled, and the wave flew past my body towards them! My parents were going to be hit directly by a wave of demonic energy—! “Tou-san, kaa-saaaan! Asssiiaaaaa!”
My most important family members disappeared into the luminosity of that wave of demonic energy—. …They didn’t. Rizevim’s demonic energy had been completely scattered. At the same time, a dazzling golden light was emitted from where my parents were! Looking carefully, a shining golden aura was exuded from there, with Asia at the centre. The aura gradually took on the appearance of a dragon. It looked as if a massive dragon was protecting those three people. “Shit!”
Rizevim swore as he continued to fire numerous bullets of demonic energy! —But, the demonic energy that was released by the son of the Maou was eliminated the instant that it touched the golden aura! The aura was being emitted with Asia in its centre. Asia clasped her hands together in prayer and her eyes were glowing with a golden light as her entire body was shrouded in a golden aura. That aura also seemed like a type of armour. Asia let out tears of awareness, and with a firm expression in her eyes, she said
“Otou-san and okaa-san have me to protect them! I’ll definitely protect them for you to see!”
Behind her — was a golden dragon; even if it had taken the form of an aura, it still fiercely glared at Rizevim. Beholding this sight, Rizevim abruptly shuddered. He hatefully spat these words out
“…Is that actually a Balance Breaker!? Also, that aura is…The Golden Dragon King…! Even if you’ve become like that…you still have to oppose me…!”
That’s right, as Rizevim said, that aura was Fafnir! …That guy, even if he’s become an aura, he still needs to protect Asia? Asia’s Sacred Gear had also responded to indicate that she had attained her Balance Breaker! That is, the Balance Breaker which was born from the union of Asia and Fafnir. Even if it was an attack from the son of the Maou, that absolute defence was able to obliterate them—. Precisely because it was the gentle Asia; perhaps that was the reason why she awakened such an ability. “……What is that thing? What exactly is it, that thing…!”
Looking at me and Asia, Rizevim could no longer hide his irritation, and was indignantly clutching his hair. With a sorrowful expression, the Champion said
“…Rizevim-sama, they possess something that we do not and are showing it to us.”
Rizevim grabbed the Champion’s chest and bellowed
“That’s why I said, what is that thing!? Love? Is that the thing called love!? Are you stupid!? It’s simply stupidity to the extremes! Those kinds of things are illusions! It’s a stupid lie!”
…You’re wrong, it certainly isn’t any kind of illusion. And it certainly isn’t a lie. The force which is currently driving us is derived from our familial love! Asia is also the same. Yes, she obtained that Balance Breaker by relying on love. Asia and I merely wanted to protect our own family. Seeing the flustered Rizevim, Vali, who had been quietly observing displayed a complicated expression. …That guy Vali was watching us almost silently. …Seeing us as a family, perhaps he also thought of something. However, my energy had already been depleted. …I was already beginning to stagger. If I continued to fight like this, I would eventually fall. Before that, I had to at least have my parents safely return, after all, that was my responsibility. …No, there was another one. Ravel and I had made a promise. I needed to return back with everyone safely. Well, it wouldn’t work out if I died. I made up my mind again. At that time, someone spoke within my mind. —Ise. It was a voice which sounded familiar. —Ise, I was finally able to reach you here. It was Ophis’ voice. Ophis should currently be sleeping at home, and she should still be unconscious…. Ophis spoke to me. —Since you can hear my voice, then that must mean you’re finally satisfied. …Satisfied? What did she mean? While I was still surprised by it, Ddraig seemed to have understood part of what that meant, and laughed. Then, in a voice that everyone could hear, he said
[Son of Lucifer. Grandfather of the Hakuryuukou Vali Lucifer. You will be the first guest.] “Huh? Guest?”
Rizevim tilted his head in surprise at Ddraig’s words. Ophis continued to speak to me. —Ise, sing it along with me. Ddraig continued to talk to Rizevim
[That’s why you should rejoice. Such a chant is not one which you can casually listen to, you definitely need to clean out your ears, and listen with your heart. If you need to ask why, it’s because this is a unique chant that a Dragon God has created.] —My very first friend. The significance of this, teach everyone about it. Ah, Ophis. I understand. —Let’s sing it together. I believed in Ophis, and entrusted my mind and body to her. “Ophis’ voice is inside me. —Let’s sing together. —Together, we’ll advance.”
—In my mind, the chant appeared. I — quietly began to chant
“—The Crimson Red Dragon dwelling within me, awaken from your dominance”
A Crimson glow was emitted from the gem on my right gauntlet. [—The Crimson Heavenly Dragon I possess within me, rise up to become a King]
Ophis then chanted the next line. At the same time, the gem on my left gauntlet unleashed a jet-black aura. “—The jet-black God of Infinity”
A crimson aura enveloped my entire body. [—The glorious Red God of Dreams]
A jet-black aura was encased over it—. “[Watch over the forbidden existence we shall become that transcends the boundaries]”
My crimson armour was melded with a jet-black colour, and further changes then occurred. My gauntlets, greaves, breastplate, wings had the colour of crimson and black fused together, and their shape also changed. Then, Ophis and I sang the final verse at the same time. “[—We shall dance like radiance within the inferno! ]”
“[ D∞D !! D∞D D∞D !! D∞D D∞D D∞D !!!! D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D !!!!!! D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D !!!!!!!! ] >>”
All of the gems resounded with a voice which permeated through to the soul. A ∞ symbol emerged on all of the gems! “[ Dragon ∞ Drive !!!!! | text_20 |
!>> ]”
Ddraig’s and Ophis’ voices amalgamated with each other as they echoed out from the gems. The chant with Ophis and me ended. ……. …Currently, standing in front of Rizevim was something which felt more organic than the crimson armour; it was a full-body, crimson and black plate armour. There were now four wings, and equipped within them were cannons. Rizevim was astounded by this sight, and he kept shaking his head as he shouted
“Juggernaut Drive!? No, that’s completely wrong! Although it has the same organic change as the Juggernaut Drive, that ominous aura can’t be felt at all. Rather, the aura which rises out of its skin is…!”
Indeed, this wasn’t the Juggernaut Drive. But it did have the organic characteristic of Juggernaut Drive. Rizevim’s whole face was distorted. “…What kind of a joke is this, this kind of thing? You’ve already reached this stage, yet you were still able to evolve…!”
Ddraig declared to Rizevim
[—Dragon Deification. This is the absolute power that only Ophis can bestow.] “—So the reason is because you’ve obtained the power of Ophis!”
What he said was correct. Currently — I had been saved by Ophis’ power. Presently, my body was re-constructed from the flesh of Great Red and Ophis’ power. Right now, Ophis’ power had been temporarily released. Precisely because the foundation of my body was Great Red’s flesh, I was able to withstand Ophis’ power. Only because I was constituted by two dragons could I obtain this forbidden power—. Ophis spoke within me
—Ise, this state can only be maintained for a very short amount of time. I see, I only had a very brief amount of time. That could be a few seconds, tens of seconds, or even a few minutes. Regardless of that, it wasn’t long. —That’s because my body was already screaming out. There was a strange power circulating around inside my body. It felt as though my body would be torn apart if I moved even just a little bit. Well, I should hurry up and do something. Right now, I — could definitely do it. I readied my stance as I faced Rizevim. After preparing my stance, I only took a slight step forward. All of a sudden, I had shortened our distance, and was standing directly in front of Rizevim. That bastard didn’t even react. My movements just now were completely beyond his comprehension. I clenched my right fist, and punched him straight in the face. At this time, a voice rang out. “ [ D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D !!!!!!!! ]>> ”
Rizevim intended to use his left hand to grab my fist! The wings of Lucifer on his back all expanded, and increased his strength. In order to block my fist, Rizevim used his Canceller…. I didn’t use [Penetrate], but the momentum of my fist didn’t weaken, and the aura enveloping it wasn’t eliminated; Rizevim cried out in surprise ‘what is this! ?’
“First is a punch!”
Using my fist’s momentum, I drove a direct punch towards Rizevim! Struck by that single blow, that bastard was flung onto the ground. Despite that, Rizevim immediately stood back up, and felt the part of his face that had been hit. From the looks of it, that blow just now was pretty good; his nasal bridge had been knocked crooked, and he had an incessant nosebleed. After Rizevim forcefully pushed his nose back into place and stopped the bleeding, he glared at me. “……What the fuck was that just then? Why wasn’t it invalidated!? Did my ability not work!? How is that possible! ?”
In response to Rizevim who was in pure disbelief, Ddraig began to speak
[No, son of Lucifer. Your ability did work.] “Well, why wasn’t it cancelled then!? Even if that power has a share of Ophis’ power, as long as it’s the power of a Sacred Gear, my Sacred Gear Canceller should still be able to disable it, right! ?”
[It’s extremely simple. Your ability to cancel is limited. Over here, the power of the Sekiryuutei’s ability is infinite. Since it’s a power which can’t entirely be cancelled — that would make things different, wouldn’t it?] Ddraig’s remark left Rizevim stunned
“…To actually say that the power which was released is one which can’t be completely eliminated by my Canceller…!”
[That is Ophis — the so-called infinite.] After hearing Ddraig’s reply, Rizevim regretfully laughed. “…That’s basically cheating…!”
That’s right, this was basically cheating. I wouldn’t want to use this power in a fair fight. Also, to borrow such a power from Ophis who only wants to live a peaceful life…I would be reluctant. “It’s really simple isn’t it? It uses power to eliminate everything. It’s very much like what I’d do. As you said, this is the cheat which you’ve obtained by borrowing Ophis’ power. But, do you think you can protect everyone just by defeating me?”
I only needed to hit this bastard, so borrowing it a bit was fine! Facing such an outcome, Rizevim retreated a step, and revealed a nasty smile. “However, from the looks of it, it doesn’t seem like you can maintain that for long. Since that’s the case—”
Seeing through my situation, that bastard shifted his hand into a chest pocket. “I’ll just drag this battle out. I’ve got many Tears.”
What he took out was a small vial which had Phoenix Tears inside them. Rizevim opened up the bottle. “Now then, I’ll use the first bottle.”
He then continued to drink it. —Damn it! He planned on healing his injuries! It doesn’t matter. Even if I can’t maintain this state for long, I’ll fight with everything I have before the time limit is up! Once again, I mentally prepared myself and made up my mind…but nothing happened even after Rizevim swallowed the Phoenix Tears. “……”
He didn’t start to recover, and Rizevim frowned. “…What’s going on? Why haven’t any of my injuries healed?”
The Champion quietly muttered. —A small magic circle was created in his hands. “…Indeed, this is reality. But, it’s already reached this point.”
Rizevim, who immediately grasped the meaning of these words, stared at the Champion. “…You’re the bastard who invalidated them…? You completely invalidated the effects of the Phoenix Tears?”
“…Originally, the Belials’ ability [Worthless] could only be used against an opponent’s ability. —But, ‘objects’ are not an exception. …As long I know about its form and substance, it can become [Worthless]. All of the Tears that you hold have already been made [Worthless].”
So that could also work huh…. As long as he knew how it worked, his ability could be used. In this situation, because he knew about the composition of the Phoenix Tears, he was able to invalidate the healing effect. Understanding all of this, Rizevim clutched all of the bottles of Tears in his hand. “…Since the battle against the House of Phoenix; you were already expecting this from the very beginning!”
I see, so that’s how it was! This is what Beelzebub-sama was talking about! The Champion knew that Qlippoth were secretly producing Phoenix Tears from the beginning. In order to invalidate them, he planned to analyse them during the match with Raiser. | text_20 |
In other words, he was able to analyse Ravel and Raiser’s demonic energy, and learned about the composition of the Tears. He was then able to invalidate all of the Tears that Qlippoth had. “You even meddled in Qlippoth’s affairs, you boy…!”
Rizevim vented his dissatisfaction and anger. His face had become distorted in anger. All of this was beyond his expectations. Seeing him like that, I laughed. “When you confronted Michael-san in Heaven, I thought that you were indeed the son of the Maou Lucifer, and I was somewhat fearful.”
I expected him to become imposing; when he opened his wings of Lucifer in Heaven, I feared him. But — I was wrong. It was the same as what Vali just said; this is what that bastard’s true nature was like. He was just a clownish ossan. “—You’re not being very brave by imitating your chichi are you, ossan? Your current demeanour is your original attitude, isn’t it?”
I didn’t fear him in the slightest, and said that to him face to face. “—I’m not a pretentious and hypocritical seventeen year old kid, you know? If I’m an ossan, then what are you?”
“…I’m known as the Sekiryuutei!”
Because of a single thing that I had said, he could no longer hide the anxiety in his heart. He emitted light from his hand as he released demonic energy, and all of the wings of Lucifer on his back opened up! I borrowed Ophis’ power, and prepared a full powered attack against Rizevim. I would determine the winner of this battle here! Since I had the addition of Ophis’ power, it was possible! I would get rid of this bastard right here! In the observation room, Rizevim and I began to fight, and as we fought, we flew out of the glass wall that had Vali smashed through! Whilst in mid-air, I opened my wings and began charging demonic energy for a cannon attack! I narrowed our distance, and then began fighting in close-combat again! My punches and his kicks each hit each other’s body! The aftermath of these clashes generated shockwaves which caused the surrounding buildings to crumble, and even the mass-produced Evil Dragons which were flying about in the air dropped out of the sky rapidly. I once again realised that this bastard’s strength was extraordinary! “Oryaaaaaaahhhhh!”
All of Rizevim’s wings had been rolled up, and they were then swung down towards me! The sharp end of the wings was thrust towards me, but I evaded them at high speed. However, the impact of his wings caused all of the building and roads below to be destroyed. “Nuraaaaaarrgghhhhhhh!”
This time, he released several extremely large shots of demonic energy! Both the intensity and aggression of his demonic energy were incredible; I would have been fatally injured even if I was wearing my crimson armour. But — right now, I had the extra protection of Ophis’ power! “Haaaaaaaaaahhhh!”
The massive bullets of highly dense demonic energy which came towards me were all deflected by my punches and kicks! Of the bullets of demonic energy that I deflected, some went down to the streets or buildings of Agreas, and some were sent even further away. The moment that they landed, enormous explosions occurred in various places. The resulting gusts of wind swept away everything in the surrounding area. At the impacted place that was nearest to where I was, several buildings had been reduced to dust or nothingness, and a massive crater had formed. Although it was incredibly destructive, this was the Maou’s son after all. —That was what I thought. …He was on the level of a Super Devil? Of course it was impossible. The silent pressure and absolute aura that could be felt from Sirzechs-sama and Ajuka-sama; this bastard couldn’t be compared to those two Maou-sama at all. I thought that among these three Super Devils, wasn’t this bastard a few levels below those other guys? I couldn’t help thinking that…but, he would be the same brutal enemy regardless. The wings on Rizevim’s back were all swung at once, and a powerful aura burst out of his body. With that, he flew above me, and shouted! “Eh! Well! Let me give you something massive as a return gift! Your nakama are below, right? If you evade this, then they’ll die won’t they!? Even if you’re able to destroy this, your family members in the Government Office will all be killed by the aftershock!”
After Rizevim shouted like that, he gathered an unimaginably overwhelming aura in both of his hands! An incredible amount of demonic energy emerged from his hands. Appearing above his head — was an incredible ball of demonic energy more than ten metres in width. There were also six of them! If these things were to hit the surface of Agreas — not to mention my nakama, the whole city would be destroyed! The six balls of demonic energy gradually circled around. “—DISSAAAPPPPEEAARRRR!”
Rizevim bellowed out as he unleashed his attack! An immense pressure and a massive amount of demonic energy descended from the sky! I — prepared myself, and then said to Ddraig
“—Accompany me to the end, Ddraig!”
[Of course, this was already decided on!] I aimed the cannons embedded in my four wings in front of me! There were two above my shoulders, and two under my armpits; the barrel of the cannons widened! The infinite power of Ophis was concentrated into the cannons. “[D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D D∞D !!!!!!! !>>]”
A [∞] symbol emerged on every one of my gems, and they alternated with flashes of red and black light. DOOOO…the cannons were charging up. Ophis — The Dragon God of Infinity’s power was being focused. “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“[∞ Blaster !!!!!! ]>>”
Along with my voice, the thick and intense cannon attack which was a combination of crimson and jet-black aura was fired from the muzzle of the four cannons at once! The blast from the four cannons and Rizevim’s six demonic energy spheres collided with each other. Then—. A massive explosion engulfed the sky above the floating city of Agreas. Booming, explosive sounds, strong winds, and all kinds of other phenomenon occurred. My cannon blast and Rizevim’s demonic energy were eliminating each other in the sky! All of the windows in Agreas were completely shattered by the shockwaves which were produced—. —The sky turned into a field of red and black interwoven together. Those two extremely large and powerful attacks clashed with each other, and then annihilated each other. Amidst the smoke which was generated by the explosion, the figure of a person could be seen. —It was Rizevim. But, because he just withstood the impact of that explosion, more than half of his wings were damaged, and blood was dripping out of every part of his body. Blood was seeping out of his ears, nose and mouth. Flying also seemed very strenuous for him. In contrast to him, I was completely unharmed. Seeing that I hadn’t suffered any damage, Rizevim’s expression was intertwined with anger and unease. “…Could it be that I’ll end up like how Shalba and Cao Cao did, being defeated by you like this…! | text_20 |
?”
Hearing this, Ddraig was also slightly surprised, and he then said
[—Shouldn’t you have known when you got involved? My partner — Hyoudou Issei has always been in pursuit of peace and quiet. But, whether it’s that descendent of the old Beelzebub, the leader of the Hero Faction, or even you, the son of Lucifer, you’ve all trampled over that which should not without a shred of hesitation.] Ddraig then asserted
[Well, there is no choice but destruction, right? —This is the Sekiryuutei of the Two Heavenly Dragons. …No, this is something a bit different. This is something slightly different from the Two Heavenly Dragons, it should be known as the Cardinal Crimson Promotion— [ Diabolos Dragon]. ] Being known as the reincarnated Devil the Crimson Sekiryuutei — [Diabolos Dragon], It was actually somewhat embarrassing. Hearing what Ddraig said, Rizevim laughed. “…Kukuku, so you’ve become the new Super Devil [Dragon Maou]. …In that case, I wonder if my grandson will become a Super Devil before long.”
After saying that, behind that bastard — a transportation magic circle was created! “…But, I will not die here…I will take my leave!”
Bastard! He planned to escape! After Rizevim glanced at me, he immediately faded into the light of transportation! Damn it! He’s faster at running away than anyone else! But, it was still too early to give up! “I won’t let you get away, Rizevim!”
Vali flew out from the Government Office. —Then, he glanced back at me and said
“—Impressive. Hyoudou Issei. You, fighting for your family…I was captivated by it.”
After saying that, Vali chased after Rizevim who had disappeared in the sky of Agreas. …Vali, there seemed to be a slightly lonely expression on his face. After Rizevim escaped, I returned to the observation room to confirm the safety of my parents and Asia. I released Ophis’ armour, and returned to my normal appearance. Well, although I had already returned to the observation room…. I walked over to the Champion who was hanging his head in the middle of the room. It seemed like he no longer had any intention of resisting. I faced him as I said
“…Champion, what you’ve done is unforgiveable.”
After I said that, the Champion opened his arms and closed his eyes. “Dispose of me as you like. You have the right to do so.”
……Kill me, that’s what he meant. Something like that…how could I possibly do that? —But, kaa-san quickly ran over. She slapped the Champion’s face. “…To let my family’s children, to allow my family’s children to suffer such things, this is considered a small price to pay.”
Kaa-san was very dignified—. It caused tou-san to say ‘waaah’ on the side in surprise. I also had to give the Champion a punch at the very least. But since kaa-san took that away…well so be it. The Champion sincerely apologised to kaa-san ‘I’m very sorry’. …I shook my head and said
“…No matter how many years, or even thousands of years you spend, please atone for your sins. …The girl that I love has said that she wants to compete with you. …Having a Game against you as their dream, surely it wouldn’t just be Rias. There are a lot of contestants who also have this dream.”
That’s right, it wasn’t just Rias. Sairaorg-san and Sona-zenkaichou also dreamed of competing against this man in the future. Also—. “…Even me, I’ll have my own peerage one day, and I want to have a good match with you. So…regardless of how many years it is, I’ll wait, so please atone for your sins.”
“……Even so, you said that I actually can’t die. …You’re truly crueller than anyone else.”
With a frown on his face, the Champion continued to ask me
“…There is one thing, please tell me. I’ve heard rumours. …You met Yaegaki-san and Cleria’s soul in Heaven. …Cleria, she…what was her expression like?”
I recalled the ghost which appeared to be Cleria-san when I was in Heaven. Cleria-san was tightly embracing Yaegaki. “…She had a very gentle expression.”
After hearing my words, the Champion let out a stream of tears. “……I see……I’ve lost.”
Seeing the dispirited Champion sit down, I couldn’t help looking at the sky. …This was a battle which couldn’t have been predicted. It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand the Champion’s reasoning. But, it was a fact that he overstepped the boundaries that he shouldn’t have—. But, to me, my gains were large. I — looked back at my family. My tou-san, my kaa-san, and Asia. They were all my important family members. Everyone now smiled together. There was no longer a need to hide anything. But, it was possible that it would place my parents in danger. —In that case, together with Asia, together with my nakama, it’ll be fine if we protect them. It’ll be fine if we do our best to protect them. I reaffirmed my determination to fight in order to protect the people important to me—. —Suddenly, I was attacked by a bout of nausea. I immediately covered my mouth. Deep in my throat — something was coming up from my abdomen that I couldn’t even hold back with my hand. …When I noticed, I was already coughing up large amounts of blood from my mouth. There was also something warm running out of my nose. I understood that it was a nosebleed. I suddenly felt weak and sensed that I had lost all of my energy—. My body collapsed, and I fell onto the floor. “…Huh?”
I could only look at the floor…I didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger, I couldn’t move at all. I could only look at the floor which was dyed red by the blood which had spurted out of my mouth. “Ise-san! ?”
“Ise!”
“Ise!”
The cries of Asia, tou-san, and kaa-san made its way into my ears…but the noise gradually became more distant from me…. […Partner. —This is the price of power. Ophis’ power…is really too…]
Although I could hear Ddraig’s concerned voice…everything in front of my eyes slowly turned to white, and then became dark…. After that, my consciousness receded—. Indeed, the price really is too—. “…”
“…”
I — Azazel, have infiltrated the interior of Agreas, and have also successfully arrived at the rear area, but a girl dressed in a black gothic style dress was now standing before me. That girl was standing in front of the two great iron doors to the power room as she waited. In front of me was an extremely wide open space. —The girl who was waiting there was Ophis’ spawn, Lilith. It really wouldn’t be very good for me to fight against her. Moreover, if I actually did attack, I would be easily defeated. Having said that, I do have work to do on the power generator behind…. Because a map of Agreas was prepared in advance, things had gone smoothly since I infiltrated this place. Although there were traps laid by the enemy on the way here, they were meaningless against a trap lifting specialist like me. Sure enough, it was right for me to come here alone. If I was with other people, a lot of time certainly would have been wasted with the traps. I stood in front of Lilith and scratched my cheek with one finger. “…Hey, you really won’t let me through huh?”
“Impossible. | text_20 |
Rizevim said, here, Lilith has to defend it.”
“Is it impossible not to fight?”
“Fight? Lilith, strong. Very strong.”
“…Well, it’s as you say.”
Lilith quickly extended and retracted a cute punch. The gesture was rather cute, but I was afraid that every single blow contained an extraordinary amount of power. Ah, this was truly a problem. What should I do? At a time like this, Ise would be particularly useful…. After all, he is really popular with children. And if it was Asia, what would happen then? Given that she’s such a rare dragon tamer who was originally a nun, if it was Asia, I wonder what she would do against this dragon? …Thinking about that, I suddenly had an idea. I took out a bar of chocolate from my pocket which I had brought along as an emergency food supply. I tore off the packaging, and then exposed the chocolate bar. I extended it towards Lilith. “Well, I’ll give you a snack.”
“—Mmn!”
As soon as she spotted the snack, her expression completely changed! Mmn! Ophis also had a poor resistance against snacks, so could it be that it was the same for this spawn? I moved the chocolate bar around, up, down, left and right. Lilith’s eyes followed it as it moved. From the looks of it, she was very interested in it. Speaking of which, Ise and the others had met this girl in the town of the Tepes faction, and they also entertained her with a nice meal. …Were dragons greedy? “Do you want to eat it? It’s very tasty and sweet, you know?”
As soon as I said that, she silently and expressionlessly swallowed. “……”
Her eyes were spinning about chaotically. You’re making me feel as though I’m doing something bad here! “…If you let me pass, I’ll let you eat this. If you don’t let me, then you don’t eat. So, do you want to eat it?”
“…Want. But, can’t let you pass. …Lilith, what to do?”
The girl tilted her head very cutely as she answered me. …What should be done in the end? I sighed. …So I really won’t be able to pass. I extended the chocolate bar in my hand towards Lilith. “…You don’t need to look at me with eyes like that. I know, I know alrerady. Anyway, I’m giving it to you. You can think about whether you’ll let me pass after you eat it.”
Lilith received it. “……”
She silently placed the chocolate bar into her mouth. …She appeared to be very satisfied. I then lowered my head, and held both my hands up. Well, what should be done next? By using snacks as bait, would that be able to lure her away from here? This approach could be quite easy…she is unexpectedly very stubborn. “…Really, that bastard who made you turned you into this without thinking about anything at all.”
Well, there isn’t much time left. I was currently considering my strategy in front of this dragon girl. Folding my arms, I nodded my head as I thought of different battle plans. At that time, the sound of someone’s footsteps was heard from the corridor that I came from. After a short while, even a voice could be heard. “……Damn it! That shitty Sekiryuutei brat…!”
Emerging from the corridor while saying that was — that bastard Rizevim, with a ragged look! He, with his head down was muttering and grumbling to himself. “I really should use Lilith’s power…. No, there’s too much uncertainty so she can only be my shield. If the current Lilith encountered the Two Heavenly Dragons, she may even be killed. Precisely because of this, it was necessary to strengthen and re-adjust her by examining the real one…. …Well, I can only use that then. …Uhehehehe.”
After the sound of his unpleasant laughter, he cried out. “Lilith! Lilith, where are you! ?”
Whilst calling for Lilith, that bastard finally noticed me. “I was just thinking that my time was running out, and now you show up.”
I laughed at the state of Rizevim body. That bastard didn’t intend to lose to my wicked laughter and returned a grin at me. “…Oh – oh – if it isn’t Azazel-ojisan? Of course it was you, to get to the power generation room of Agreas first. And of course you were also able to avoid all of the traps on the way here.”
“Truly, you deserve it, Rizevim. To be beaten by Ise and Vali like that. Well, I predicted that it would turn out like this anyway.”
“…To see such an outcome and not be surprised, you are indeed the guiding hand who directs the Two Heavenly Dragons.”
Comparing Ise and Vali to their predecessors, their strength has been rising rapidly and unexpectedly. I couldn’t help thinking that it would one day become like this. “Regardless of how powerful they are, the people who cause trouble in front of them always have unexpected events occur, and they’re eventually eliminated. For you, that may eventually be the case. It’s just a matter of time. But I put a lot of effort into calculating and minimising our losses that would be caused by you.”
Regardless of whether it was Shalba or Cao Cao, both of them caused some kind of trouble, and were then eliminated. If there’s a first time, then there’ll be a second time, which is why the thought that Rizevim would end up like this naturally became stronger and stronger. Rizevim’s mouth bent into a crooked shape, and he had a look of displeasure. “…Your words are truly infuriating.”
“No, it seems your malice still exceeds some of my expectations. You have both the Holy Grail and the Forbidden Fruit. However, you’re too impatient. Reaching this point, it isn’t an exaggeration to say that you seem too eager to make this sudden move. Could it be that this is related to the dark eye circles on your face?”
He had dark circles around his eyes. A lack of sleep? For a political agitator like him, is there such a thing that could cause him to lose sleep? Besides, he isn’t the type of person toss and turn uneasily at night just because the path ahead was uncertain. —But contrary to my expectations, he laughed to himself again. “…Surprisingly, I’m also a delicate person. …Ah, damn it. You were actually thinking of the same thing as me. The most troublesome is not Sirzechs, nor is it the Sekiryuutei or Vali and their kind, and neither is it [DxD]. …But the one in front of me…”
Rizevim narrowed his eyes, and then eloquently stared at me. …Even after suffering such heavy injuries, what was he trying to play at? Just when I had a question to ask — a flash of bright light suddenly appeared within my field of vision. With a closer look, as the entire vast open space was illuminated by that bright light – a Dragon Gate opened! There were also two of them! Both of them were mainly black in colour. Appearing from there was — a colossal winged and three-headed black dragon, as well as a handsome brown-skinned youth who was wearing black vestments. The colossal black dragon with three heads was the [Diabolism Thousand Dragon]— Aži Dahāka. Although the brown-skinned youth emerged in the form of a human, I was afraid that he was the [Eclipse Dragon]— Apophis. The youth — Apophis said towards Rizevim with a surprised expression
—Your methods are too naïve, Prince.>>
The three-headed dragon — Aži Dahāka then laughed. | text_20 |
[It would be better to say that your mental weakness actually brought you here.] [Mental strength like that of tofu!] [All you’ve got is an arrogant attitude!] Right after the middle head spoke, the heads on the left and right sides began to mock Rizevim. In the face of the two Evil Dragons who were renowned and powerful, Rizevim smiled wryly again. “……Well if it isn’t Apophis-kun and Aži Dahāka-kun.”
Upon seeing Rizevim’s injuries, Aži Dahāka ridiculed him with even more pleasure. [Ah—, Rize. You don’t look too bad as a salty plum right now.] [You really look magnificent ☆]
[Ha serves you right!] Aži Dahāka’s attitude caused Rizevim’s anger to flare up. But, it was interrupted from the side by Apophis. Sorry, Prince Rizevim. Despite a lot of your care…it ends here. —From here on, allow us to act on our own.>>
Apophis extended one hand forward, and then created a magic circle. A certain object then appeared from the centre of it. —A single cup, it was Valerie’s Holy Grail. I’ll be taking this away with me.>>
“…The Holy Grail huh. I was hiding that in my own dimensional space…you guys asked about that before but now this is how it is.”
Aži Dahāka ‘kukuku’ laughed. [That’s fine. As long as it’s within the scope of magic, I’m better when compared to you.] [I’m very good at powerful magic yo ☆]
[You second-rate Maou! Third-rate Maou!] …That bastard Rizevim, he was being betrayed at such a time. These guys, did they believe that Rizevim was likely to fail in the near future, and were wondering when to rebel? Thus, they took aim at this opportunity, and also took the Holy Grail. As if in response to my deductions, Apophis said
As a result of Fafnir’s curse, you experienced nightmares every night. Those dark circles around your eyes are too severe. In order to strengthen Lilith, you eventually became too anxious about preparing the plans for implementation. Even if you are known as a Super Devil, comparing you to the other two Super Devils, the difference is more than just one or two points.>>
“……You really know how to talk, Evil Dragon.”
Rizevim aggressively retorted. …I finally understood. It was that; that bastard Rizevim was suffering from Fafnir’s curse. That Dragon King, in the final moments before he lost consciousness, he turned his own spirit into a curse, and sent it into Rizevim. Moreover, Fafnir’s spiritual body appeared in Rizevim’s dreams every night, and he repeatedly attacked him in his dreams. Rizevim’s dark eye circles were caused by the attacks of Fafnir every night—. So that was the reason why he targeted Ophis. In order to defeat Fafnir, he planned to strengthen Lilith. Aži Dahāka’s mockery of Rizevim intensified even further. [Super Devil-sama had no resistance in his dreams, so hundreds and thousands of times over and over he was killed by that golden guy.] [He was completely unable to transcendin his dreams!] [He simply couldn’t release the curse within his dreams!] Apophis sighed. And because he himself was being tormented, it caused him to become the stumbling block of his own plan; one can imagine the degree of his mental strength. It’s a fact that the curse was too strong for him. After all, he made a move against many unnecessary things.>>
It really suited his style, everything that he said was correct. After inciting so many people, in the end he shot himself in the foot. And he was also hunted down and cornered mentally. This lead to a series of mistakes occurring, which were really self-inflicted. This was the result of underestimating the opponent too much. Having been mocked utterly by these two Evil Dragons, Rizevim was trembling with anger. I ignored Rizevim, and said to the two Evil Dragons
“Do you think you could give that, the Holy Grail to me, Apophis, Aži Dahāka?”
Naturally that is impossible, leader of the Fallen Angels. We are also quite interested in attacking another world.>>
—What! …How could this? I only considered what Rizevim was thinking, and I didn’t think that these guys would be so interested in another world! After Apophis spoke, Aži Dahāka continued
[Going to fight the god of another world is very interesting.] [It’s so very exciting ☆]
[I really want to take a look at a world that’s never been seen!] Only their objective was the same. But, they had now severed their ties with Rizevim. In this case though, it’s still a troublesome matter. The thought of these powerful dragons recklessly using the Holy Grail was terrifying. Suddenly, Apophis turned his eyes towards the corridor. He continued to stare at the dark and silent corridor, and then made a slight smile. …It seems that a person has come for your soul. So goodbye for now, son of the Maou. It’ll be good if you die without any worries.>>
An illumination of light appeared beneath the feet of Apophis and Aži Dahāka, and the Dragon Gate opened once again. [However, we will inherit your vision.] [Bye bye!] [Have a miserable death!] Leaving these words behind, Apophis and Aži Dahāka transported themselves away from here along with a black coloured aura—. Just after the two ferocious Evil Dragons had left, a flash of silver light like the slash of a sword appeared in the depths of the corridor, and drew near. Flying down into this vast space was — Vali, whose entire body was encased in pure white armour. “The aura I felt just now was Aži Dahāka. —It seems that the Evil Dragons that you revived dislike you.”
He said that as he stood in front of Rizevim. Rizevim could only smile wryly at the advent of his grandson. “—Now it’s time for Vali-kun’s appearance.”
“That three-headed Evil Dragon and Crom Cruach aren’t people who can be controlled by someone of your calibre, you’re still too naïve. —You can never underestimate Dragons, Rizevim.”
Vali stretched out his right hand, and gathered a great and dangerous amount of aura in it. Seeing this, Rizevim began to smile apologetically. “Ah wait, Vali-kun, I was wrong…you see, I’m your grandfather aren’t I? Have a little mercy on me.”
Due to his current injuries, he realised that he was unable to hold up against the power of Vali. At that moment, that bastard began to get nervous. —But. “……”
Vali quietly exhaled, and then began chanting the words to unleash his power. “I, who is about to awaken — am the Hakuryuukou who will take the law down to the darkness—”
The space we were in began to shake violently. An enormous amount of aura was being released from Vali’s body. The pure white armour gradually changed into brilliant silver, and its shape also changed. Vali only had one response — to recite the chant for [Empireo Juggernaut Overdrive]. Although both physical and demonic energy would be consumed immensely, the power obtained could easily kill even one of the most powerful Grim Reapers of legend. —It was a formidable power which could even make the killing of a god possible. Seeing this scene, Rizevim’s eyes widened, and he continued to try persuading Vali. | text_20 |
“These days, one of the necessary skills for young people is to care for the elderly, right?”
“I walk the road of domination with infinite destruction and by piercing through the imaginary dream—”
Vali took no notice and continued to recite the chant. Rizevim put on a pretentious pose and began to apologise. “Ah—, I understand now! I admit that everything I’ve done until now is wrong! Bullying you all is my fault!”
“I shall become a pure Emperor of Dragon—”
“Hey hey, it’s all my fault! Whether it’s money or a beautiful woman, whatever you want, I’ll give it to you okay?”
However, the grandson faced his grandfather without a trace of compassion, and finished the last line of the chant in a single breath—. [[[[[“And I shall have you obey the silvery-white illusions and the perfect evil ways!”]]]]]
[Juggernaut Over Drive!!!!!!!!!!!!] The sound rang out from all of the gems. Eventually, the Divine Dividing Scale Mail changed into a great armour which released a white-silver glow. Releasing a silver aura and a murderous intent from his entire body, that was Vali’s Juggernaut Overdrive. In a fight against Rizevim under normal circumstances, he would be defeated due to the incredible consumption of energy and a protracted battle. But, it was another matter right now as Rizevim was both injured and did not have much strength remaining. With Vali’s strength at this level, the possibility of defeating Rizevim was extremely high. For example, by using a sword created without the power of a Sacred Gear, but simply from the power of magic and demonic energy, it would be possible to cut him. Vali was a genius who could even learn Norse magic, and he was also very talented at magic. Even if a direct attack with the power of his Sacred Gear was ineffective, his physical abilities were greatly enhanced by Juggernaut Overdrive, so he would have a massive advantage against Rizevim in a head-on fight. Rizevim, who realised this point, still continued to smile while trying to persuade him. He even tried pleading to me. “Azazel! What do you want then!? Regardless of whether it’s money or something else that I can give—”
He wasn’t able to finish his words before I interrupted him. “Rizevim, you really are the worst. At the very least, you should die honourably at the hands of the Sekiryuutei or the Hakuryuukou that is your grandson.”
At this point, it was actually…rather pathetic. The son of Lucifer, who had incited all kinds of people, was now begging for his life in front of us. Moreover, it was towards the opponents that he had been fighting against the whole time. Seeing him this way, let alone pity, I was simply amazed. Vali released the gauntlet on his right hand, and then created a sword with magic. It was a magic sword which didn’t have the power of a Sacred Gear added to it. While pointing the tip of the sword towards Rizevim, Vali said
“You’re wrong, Azazel. This guy — he was just defeated by a very ordinary human family. …The thing that I don’t possess, Hyoudou Issei does. …For this guy, that is where how he lost above.”
…Hearing this from him, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the scene of the battle which occurred above. …I see, Ise, you’ve let your parents know about your true identity now. Yet, your parents still accepted you. You must be truly happy. You must have been trembling with joy. Such a thing happened; it wasn’t difficult to imagine that kid excitedly allowing the Sacred Gear’s power to explode. A Sacred Gear would, after all, continue to become stronger and stronger along with its user’s feelings. —Rizevim was cornered by the love of the Hyoudou family. Both his birth and upbringing was that of an ordinary teenager. Neither of his parents possessed any special ability, they were common, ordinary people. What was generated from the very ordinary life of this family—. It was something that Rizevim could not possibly understand. …And also the thing that Vali desired. That was why it led to his defeat. …How ironic, Rizevim. “……No no, how can this be?”
Rizevim didn’t seem to understand Vali’s words, and then began to cry out
“Liiillliiiiith! Lilith-chan! Hurry up and protect me!”
He was calling Lilith! After Lilith, who was intently watching us from the door heard Rizevim’s call, she went towards him. “Protect, Rizevim?”
After seeing Lilith make a stance to protect him, Rizevim once again revealed an extremely wicked smile. “Yes, that’s right! Come and protect me! You need to hang on to me! Guard me! Use the power of Infinity to bury that Hakuryuukou and Fallen Angel! Hyahyahyahyahyahyahya!”
Since he now had Lilith as a shield, the situation had quickly turned around and a nasty smile resurfaced on Rizevim’s face. Vali confronted Lilith, and in a soft voice said to her
“Spawn of Ophis, could you step aside? I…do not want to attack you. Is protecting the guy behind you the purpose of your existence?”
Vali was also the same as Ise, and still attached great importance to Ophis. That was why Lilith was presently of equal importance. Lilith seemed to be slightly puzzled by Vali’s gentle words. It was the same as that time with Ise, perhaps only when conversing with the Two Heavenly Dragons, her emotions would function? “But, Lilith. Have to protect, Rizevim. My job.”
While staying behind her, Rizevim nodded in agreement. “That’s right, it’s your job! It’s your job! You’re really a good child, Lilith-chan! You’re worthy of having my mother’s name!”
…He had quickly reverted back to his usual self. What incredible trash, Rizevim. However, Vali spoke even more calmly. “Well, come with me. —If you come with me, you’ll be able to see Great Red as well as another you, you’ll be able to meet Ophis. …Hyoudou Issei, you’ll also be able to see the Sekiryuutei.”
Great Red, Ise — the name of the Sekiryuutei as well as Ophis had been announced, and Lilith displayed a reaction which was different to any other that she had shown before. “…Great, Red? Another…Lilith?”
Vali pointed to the dragon shaped accessory which was on Lilith’s dress. “You only have that right? If it was that man, he would definitely give you something better. It would definitely be hundreds of times better than what you have there—”
In order to interrupt Vali’s persuasion, Rizevim shouted out
“Heeyy! Hey hey hey hey! What is this, are you trying to have a policy of appeasement!? This is my Lilith! And my dedicated ace! To be able to do this right now, I had to shape her attitude —”
I sighed, then took out a chocolate bar from my pocket again and said to Lilith
“Right now, I’ll also give you snacks okay?”
“……Great Red, another Lilith…Sekiryuutei…snacks…Great Red, snacks, another Lilith, snacks…snacks with the Sekiryuutei…”
Ooh, knowing about Great Red, Ophis, and the Two Heavenly Dragons who would give her snacks, Lilith was becoming lost in confusion. She really was a cute little one. Comparing her to Rizevim, she really was cute and easy to understand. Lilith truly was a valuable existence. | text_20 |
Seeing that Lilith had become confused because of us, Rizevim became anxious again. “Y-You want snacks huh!? Snacks are more important than me!? W-Well, I’ll prepare an extra-large cake and chocolate or marshmallows for you! I’ll also give you—”
Whilst Rizevim was talking animatedly, his left arm was suddenly sliced off—. Vali had swung his magic sword down without a shred of mercy. “Guuaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
Rizevim cried out in pain. Because of the surprise attack, he wasn’t even able to evade the sword. Due to Vali being in Juggernaut Overdrive, his physical abilities had sharply increased. Rizevim had also been distracted because of his ace, Lilith. That was why his left arm had been cut off. While watching Rizevim, who was bleeding profusely above his left arm, Vali still spoke with a chilling tone
“Since the moment that you got distracted, it was already over for you. Lilith was also distracted because she was in this confused state. Just like that, as soon as there was an opening, I attacked you.”
While holding the section of his arm that had been cut off, Rizevim’s face distorted with anger. “……Fucking…! It’s because I had to maintain those emotions that it led to this!”
I see, so that bastard had to maintain a slight level of emotion with Lilith? As a result, Lilith’s emotions had also leaked out. It incurred such an outcome. Anyway, if it’s this bastard, he’d definitely mess around with a playful attitude. In the end, he was the one who tripped himself over. Vali raised the magic sword, and instantly slashed it forward. “—Die.”
In the instant that the sword was about to make contact — Vali suddenly let go of the sword. His hateful expression also disappeared. While shaking his head, he exhaled heavily. “……After Hyoudou Issei has pursued you so far, it’s no good at all if I kill you. Only tasting the sweetness of victory doesn’t fit my principles at all. —Also, the person who really wants to kill you is here.”
Vali then turned his gaze towards a certain place. Most likely, he had felt that presence, and so he had a new idea. —The Dragon Gate opened within this space once more. A golden aura was released from within the Dragon Gate. Seeing this, Rizevim became even more nervous, and was at a loss for words. “……You’re kidding.”
The figure which emerged from within the Dragon Gate was — the Dragon King with golden dragon scales. His body was still a bit weak, and it looked like the injuries that he had sustained in Heaven had yet to heal. But, he had a powerful pressure, and a clear intent to kill; the Gigantis Dragon— Fafnir moved while dragging his body out. [……I’ve finally found you.] Looking at the enemy, Rizevim, standing before him, Fafnir spoke with vigour. Rizevim still looked as though he was in disbelief, as he shook his head — while at the same time trembling in fear. “…Argh! Why…! Why would you be so persistent…!? Even in my dreams you’ve been biting onto me without letting go!”
Rizevim was haggard and had lost his calm reasoning because he had been constantly attacked by Fafnir in his dreams, and constantly chased. These humiliating situations had been occurring in his dreams tens, hundreds, and possibly even more than a thousand times. That’s right; he had been killed in his dreams constantly, which pushed him into a corner mentally. […You made Asia-tan cry.] Fafnir’s ferocious eyes were glowing as he moved closer to Rizevim with each step that he took. Anger, hatred, and loathing were continuously being released from the Gigantis Dragon body—. Being stressed by the force of an overwhelming pressure, Rizevim’s face turned pale. —But, because his injuries were too severe, his body fell to the floor. At this time, Fafnir shortened their distance little by little, and was eventually directly in front of him. Rizevim extended his hand out, and forced on a smile. “…Wait! Please wait! That was…you see! It was a performance! For a super lively atmosphere! After all, for Lucifer’s son to get inside Heaven—“
GOON! Together with that blunt noise, the sound of bones being crushed resounded throughout this space. Fafnir’s huge claws, without any mercy and ignoring Rizevim’s pleas were completely trampling over his legs. “Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Bastard! You bastard! DAMNED DRAGON!”
While screaming out resentfully, Rizevim lifted his upper body in the midst of the pain. However, both of his legs were already being stepped on by Fafnir, and it was impossible for him to escape now. Fafnir’s face, which was dyed red with anger faced Rizevim as he said
[—How dare you bully Asia-tan. I definitely won’t forgive you! Definitely not!] The Dragon King’s voice, expression and aura were overflowing with rage. Fafnir’s obsession already exceeded common sense, and he had finally cornered the bastard who was known as a Super Devil. I said towards Rizevim who was looking at me with imploring eyes
“Rizevim, you’ve aggravated dragons too much. —This is your retribution.”
—Poetic justice. In order to satisfy his own desires, he had incited all kinds of people from various different factions. Regardless of the number of victims, this bastard only continued for the sole purpose of his own desires. Now, everything was being returned onto his own body. The most ironic thing was that at the bitter end, not a single dragon was even interested in fighting against him. Speaking of which, Fafnir’s treasures are—. Dazzling gold and silver treasures, as well as some of the rarest weapons in the world. And on top of that, the most important thing was a bright girl with whom he shared a bond—. As long as he had that, Fafnir would be completely satisfied. As long as he could see Asia’s smile, that would be more than enough to make him happy—. Within Fafnir’s eyes, the reflection of Asia’s bright smile was there. —But that bastard had hurt her without any hesitation. He did the same to Ise as well. Originally, that guy and his nakama were living a happy and enjoyable life. Vali was also like that…he was originally able to live a peaceful and quiet life with his parents. Rizevim you bastard, you interfered in things that were more precious than anything else; you acted against the things that were irreplaceable. Your actions inevitably led to resentment. You trampled over too many such things. I relentlessly said to Rizevim. “It’ll be good if you learn before you die. Child of the Great Maou. There are places in this world that absolutely cannot be touched. But you repeatedly violated these places. This is the reason for your death.”
As a result of my words, Rizevim became angry, and then spoke without remorse. “……Hmph! What a bastard…”
Rizevim made a final struggle as he continuously released bullets of demonic energy from his hand. Fafnir’s scales were instantly hit, portions of his flesh were blown off, and he was bleeding, but he didn’t care. The Dragon King stood imposingly and dignified, this was the absolute will of a Dragon King—. | text_20 |
Fafnir ruthlessly opened his large mouth, and it looked as though he intended to give the final blow. Upon seeing this, Rizevim’s face was filled with despair. Finally, he screamed—. “DAAAMMNN IIITT!”
…The Gigantis Dragon’s jaws crunched down on the son of the former Maou and crushed him. As Vali watched on, it looked like a burden had been lifted from him, but at the same time his face was also filled with sorrow. “Rizevim, you disgraced the name of Lucifer. You have polluted it too much. But you can rest assured. I shall inherit the blood of Lucifer. At the very least, I’m more suitable to be Lucifer than you were.”
That was the end of the political agitator who incited various people against us, the Super Devil Rizevim Livan Lucifer. Vali’s heart didn’t clear up until the end, but he had a look of relief on his face now. Well, whatever…. At the least, you’re definitely more suitable than that bastard to become Lucifer. After all, you’re a lot less foolish—. After witnessing Rizevim’s final moments, Vali and I — as well as Lilith (slowly following behind us), opened the two great doors to the power room, and then advanced forward. After Fafnir defeated Rizevim, he returned by going back through the Dragon Gate. This time, he should be able to have a good rest. You can recover a bit earlier, and start protecting Asia again. It’s because you’re trusted by her. So, as was described before, there should be a massive crystal in here — it was the crystal that was rumoured to be used in the creation of [Evil Pieces]. With that in the centre, it acted as the power generator of Agreas, thereby generating the power to drive this floating city. Just when I set foot inside — I became speechless at the sight of the power generator. The deepest part of Agreas had actually turned into an extremely large spherical cavity. The crystal which was known as the power generator in the centre was…that crystal was there along with an even larger creature next to it. “……Tsk! T-that thing is! ?”
I could only stand there as my eyes widened in surprise. …I never imagined that it would be this, that bastard Rizevim…! That thing had seven heads and ten horns, the ’beast’ that was far too powerful—. Its giant body was easily longer than a few hundred metres, it was even larger than Great Red. —Apocalypse Beast Trihexa, 666. Each one of its heads belonged to a different creature; one of them was like a lion, one was like a leopard, one was like a bear, and there was also one like that of a dragon, there was no sense of unity. Its body had a variety of features from the different creatures, and it gave off a foreign sensation from its body. Extending out from inside its body was a countless number of chains which were tightly restraining the beast. All of its heads were asleep and did not seem conscious. …It had supposedly been left at the end of the world. Rizevim had actually brought it all the way in here…. I see, the reason why he stole Agreas was because he wanted to use it as a place to hold this thing. …The problem was its immensely dark aura. That thing was actually capable of releasing aura of such a degree…! By standing here, simply being able to feel the evil aura which was oozing out of that beast was enough to make someone go crazy. …That bastard Rizevim, he had actually already restored Trihexa to such a degree. There were only a few more seals before it would be completely released now. The Forbidden Fruit which he obtained in Heaven must have been in order to revive Trihexa, and speed up the unsealing…. And more importantly was the crystal which was embedded within the centre of Trihexa’s body. It looked like he wanted to assimilate Trihexa with the power generator of Agreas…. He was also using the power generator of Agreas to unseal it. He had actually used the legacy of the previous Maou’s era in such a way. He exploited what he could from his father’s legacy, he truly was a good-for-nothing son, that bastard Rizevim. …Anyway, it’s quite lucky that we’ll be able to take some preventative measures at this stage. Regardless of what we want to do though, Rossweisse’s sealing research would not be able to meet the deadline. She certainly was a genius, but this unsealing speed was far too abnormal. All of the different things that he did were all in order to accelerate its unsealing…. Vali raised his head and looked at the massive beast as he said
“So that’s how it is, even I wouldn’t be able to defeat it. Even if I was allowed to fight, I would be powerless against it in my present condition.”
Vali carefully watched Trihexa with a tight expression on his face. Suddenly, Lilith pointed to the wall. “Ddraig, Ddraig.”
While thinking about what she was talking about, I turned my gaze to follow the direction that she was pointing at—. “…What! He even went and did something like that…!”
I was completely astounded by the scene in front of me. Within the spherical cavity, a myriad of cocoons were hanging down from the wall. A part of it could be seen at the top of the cocoon. —Looking closely, all of them were the heads of the Boosted Gear Scale Mail. That is to say, of the cocoons which were hanging from the walls of the cavity, inside all of them were artificial Boosted Gear Scale Mails. Were they the same type as the one that Euclid Lucifuge used? Most likely, there was nothing inside them. If they were truly Boosted Gear Scale Mail which were able to move on their own…simply imagining that made me shudder. Such a number of them was extremely bad. Within this space, from top to bottom, and front to back were more than a thousand cocoons…! I shuddered again whilst looking at what Qlippoth had prepared. But, we were very lucky right now. We would be able to stop it here before it actually began. I exhaled, and then allowed myself to calm down. I then took a step forward in order to stop all of this. —At that time. The power generator suddenly began to vibrate intensely. Accompanied by a rumbling noise, the power generator began to activate. How could this be!? I didn’t even do anything! Why would it activate—. [Hiyahahahahahaha! Hyahahahahahaha!] All of a sudden, that irritating laughter was heard again. Rizevim!? No, he just died thoroughly. So, this is—. [If this has started, then it means that I’ve been killed. So by whose hand was it…was it Sirzechs-kun, or was it Vali-kun?] …This was a voice recording? It was set to activate after his death. Rizevim continued to spell out his last words. [Well whatever, since this has started, it’s fine that it’s become like this. —This reaction is based on my death and will force all of the stages to be destroyed, the final step in the resurrection of Trihexa. This will use my soul as the final energy source.] —What!? …What did you say…? I looked back towards the power generator! In the end — each of Trihexa’s heads had started to open their eyes. At the same time, the seals which had been applied to it became visible, and then began to shatter—. | text_20 |
That bastard Rizevim, he actually used his soul as a sacrifice to forcefully accelerate the unsealing! This was not good! This…was really bad! I anxious started to create a seal on the spot — but it showed no signs of stopping Trihexa’s awakening at all! One of its heads had completely opened its eyes, and then roared out! Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnn! —It was just a roar, but it felt as though even my soul was being tightly clenched! That howl just then echoed out across not only the cavity, but also the entire city! The people above would have noticed it! After that, the second head — also began to open its eyes completely! “Vaaali! Attack it quickly! If that thing revives — the world will end!”
“Che!”
Following my instructions, Vali instantly equipped his armour, and then flew out! He gathered a massive amount of aura and fired it towards it — but Trihexa remained unharmed! It won’t work even with Vali!? The Juggernaut Overdrive that he used before was very draining for him, but for the one known as the strongest Hakuryuukou in history to land a blow and not even be able to scratch the skin…! While lost for words, I could do nothing but continue to create several layers of seals over and over again; even a little bit would be good, I had to gamble on that tiny possibility! Vali also continued to attack it endlessly! At this point, Rizevim’s last words still continued. [This is a forced resurrection after all, so I don’t know what will happen. Perhaps even greater damage than I expected will occur. —At the same time that Trihexa is being revived, a very interesting thing will also be released. That is…perhaps it has already appeared before your eyes, the mass-produced fake Sekiryuutei, and a large army of them too.] The cocoons of the Sekiryuuteis which were originally hanging off the wall—. They began to break apart one by one. The Plate Mailwhich had been adjusted to move on their own then started to climb out of the cocoons slowly. “Lilith! I’ll give you snacks afterwards, can you do something about that right now! ?”
I cried out to Lilith as a desperate hope. Lilith walked towards Trihexa, and simply raised her head to observe it—. “Scary.”
…Perhaps it was an instinctive fear of Trihexa. Then we’ll just have to change the target. “Well, then do something about those mass-produced Sekiryuutei!”
Lilith obeyed my instructions, trotted over there, and then sent the Sekiryuutei which had just activated flying with a single punch! She was indeed Ophis’ spawn! Having said that though, going by her leisurely pace, destroying that many Sekiryuutei was somewhat…! [Because they’re replicas, they don’t have the strength of the real thing. But with this, it’s certainly possible to destroy the city.] The mass-produced Sekiryuutei spread their wings, and then flew towards the surface together! The third, and fourth head of Trihexa had already opened their eyes. In this desperate situation, that bastard’s disgusting laughter echoed throughout the room. [Hyahahahahahahahahahaha!] ……Rizevim…! Livan! …That bastard…! Even after your death, you won’t let go of us and you’ll continue your evil!? [The legendary beast recorded in the Book of Revelation, and its subordinate fake Sekiryuutei army! Well, what will you do, how will you deal with this!?] Vali became even more impatient upon hearing Rizevim’s words, and continued to attack Trihexa, but the beast ignored him and continued to awaken. Rizevim’s gleeful voice still did not stop—. [Like this, the Underworld, Heaven and the Human World will be destroyed, carrying my will and dream, and advancing towards another world that has never been seen—]
His voice suddenly stopped. At this time, another voice resounded within the power room. Your last words were still such a trifling matter…how truly hopeless, Prince Rizevim.>>
—It was Apophis’ voice. Although he himself wasn’t present, it was definitely the voice of the Evil Dragon Apophis who had appeared just before. Then, the voice of another Evil Dragon was also heard. [Gukuku, but it could be considered to be his style.] [How bothersome!] [That’s dead right!] It was Aži Dahāka! “Those are the voices of Apophis and Aži Dahāka! ?”
I said that as I lifted my head to look upwards. Without any sign of hesitation, Apophis answered me
That’s correct, former governor-dono. Unlike earlier, it’s a bit rude of us to be there only in voice right now. I’m very sorry about interrupting you while you were listening to the prince’s last words, but please listen to my next announcement.>>
Aži Dahāka and Apophis began their declaration of war against us! We will take Trihexa and the army of fake Sekiryuutei.>>
[We’ll take them away.] [We’re going to use them.] [Not only in the Underworld and the Human World, but also in another world, we’re going to create the world that belongs only to Evil Dragons. So please allow us to make good use of them.] Just while they were saying that, Trihexa’s heads — the final seventh one had now opened its eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was bound to be, or just coincidence that the final head was that of a dragon—. “You guys, did you plan to use Rizevim and us from the very beginning?”
After hearing my question, Apophis replied
No, not from the very beginning. —It’s only because Prince Rizevim was too pathetic that we planned this.>>
[The worst is that that guy looked down on dragons too much. And I’m not just referring to the Hakuryuukou in there or Fafnir. He simply thought that Devils were the strongest race and tried to use them, he was also too fond of playing little tricks.] [Dragons like simplicity and straightforwardness the most!] [There’s no need for thinking! One simply follows what they feel!] In front of Vali and I — the seventh head had already woken up entirely! Gyoooooooooooohhh! Zuooooooooohhh! Gyooooooooohhh! The seven heads were howling out individually—. The booming volume of their noise caused even the entire city to shake. I was forced to use defensive magic to protect my ears. Even after it finished howling, my ears were still aching. —Trihexa had revived. The giant beast shook its enormous body, and forcefully snapped the chains which were binding it. At the same time, this room was beginning to collapse. No, it wasn’t just this room. Even a part of the city was beginning to collapse from the shockwaves which were produced by Trihexa’s revival. One of the heads looked upwards, and then opened its gigantic mouth. Within its mouth, an unimaginably vast amount of aura was gathered! —Shit! I instantly grabbed hold of Lilith, and then dashed into a corner to take refuge. I also created several layers of defensive magic barriers. In an instant—. One of Trihexa’s heads spat out an immensely large fireball! The ceiling was struck by this blow, several explosions occurred, and the ceiling began to crumble. Amidst the shockwaves produced by these explosions, I continued to strengthen my defensive barriers. | text_20 |
…Once, twice, three times, the shockwaves of the explosions shattered my magic barriers one by one. …Just a single head ejecting a fireball out of its mouth is like this…!? From the broken ceiling — rays of light poured down. Trihexa was illuminated by the light — all of its heads focused onto the light which was streaming in…it appeared to be highly satisfied. Trihexa slowly flew up towards the ceiling which had been destroyed. Then, more than a thousand of the mass-produced Sekiryuutei flew up, following it! …It was an incredible scene. Next to the beast recorded in the Revelation was a sea of red dragons, all moving together. I — couldn’t help feeling that it was the beginning of the Apocalypse as I watched this scene. And in my mind, I recalled the passage of the Apocalypse. —I saw a beast rising out of the sea. Moving through the ceiling of the power room, the giant beast had been released—. —The beast had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And on each head were blasphemous names of God. With the numbers 666 on its seven heads, it was an overly powerful beast—. —The beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like those of a bear, and its mouth was like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast its own power, throne and great authority. Juxtaposed with the Apocalypse DragonGreat Red, it was the legendary beast recorded in the Book of Revelation—. —One of the heads seemed to have had a mortal wound, but it had immediately healed. All of the Earth’s inhabitants were frightened. They worshipped the dragon which had given the beast its authority. From afar, I could see that Trihexa, which had flown out of the ceiling was being attacked by the [DxD] team who were outside. …Against the most evil beast, it had no effect at all—. —Who could match up to this beast? …If Great Red fought against it, not only the Underworld and the Human World, but the worlds of the other mythologies would also…they wouldn’t be safe! —Who could wage war against this beast? So, who could possibly stop it…! Trihexa and the large army of red dragons had already flown out of the power room completely—. “…Damn it.”
Within the collapsing cavity, I could only bitterly continue to slam my fist against the wall. The voices of Apophis and Aži Dahāka made a final announcement. Come if you want to come. —We Evil Dragons and you of [DxD] will have our final battle. Don’t worry, we won’t play any petty tricks like Prince Rizevim. We will eradicate everything in front of our eyes together with Trihexa.>>
[Come quickly, Vali Lucifer. Let us fight again. We can fight while admiring the destruction that Trihexa will perform. Don’t you feel excited? Since this is a fight for your lives, a dragon that does not fight is not a real dragon!] [The Heavenly Dragons against Evil Dragons!] [Bring the Sekiryuutei as well!] Then Vali — looked at Trihexa flying in the sky and revealed a fearless smile. “Of course. Aži Dahāka. That is very interesting indeed. That’s simple and easy to understand.”
…Really. Under these circumstances, these two are even more troublesome than Rizevim to some degree…. Apophis and Aži Dahāka were different to the arrogant and presumptuous Rizevim, they were simply a gathering of pure power. I see, I finally understood now. All of the dragons who possessed power — were pure. To dreams, fighting, violence, magic, and survival—. That’s why they devoted their all. They defeated every obstacle in their way, they won victoriously, and then fell and disappeared—. Ah, Rizevim. That’s why it was impossible for you to win. At the very end you stumbled over yourself, and everything was taken from you. These dragons all possessed their own immense power, and lived freely according to their own will. Now, the fate of the world was dominated by dragons. It’s the same as the time when the Two Heavenly Dragons interfered in the fight between the Three Factions. —Those guys were all convinced that they were the strongest. They acted and lived only according to their own thoughts. The final battle around Trihexa had begun. Regardless of whether it was our side, or the enemy’s side, at the centre of everything were dragons—. —The Underworld, Fallen Angel’s Territory. A series of resorts were being developed for the VIPs of various factions by the Fallen Angels, one after the other. In the corner of one such accommodation which had already opened for business, there was a single youth who was at the swimming pool. The youth was lying on a deck chair underneath the parasols which were lined up along the side of the pool. The youth’s gaze was focused on the surface of the water; he was watching an image that was visible only to him. Shown within the image was an enormous beast which released a fearsome aura, as well as a countless number of red-coloured Plate Mail which were drifting around it. The youth watched the image on the surface of the water with great interest — he watched the scene which could be considered as the beginning of the Apocalypse whilst moving the pieces on the board which was placed on the table beside him. “Chaturaji—. It’s said to be the origin of Chess and Shogi.”
There was suddenly a voice. The youth darted his eyes over, and noticed that a bewitchingly beautiful and attractive male Devil was now standing there, without him realising. The male Devil sat down on the deck chair on the opposite side of the table, and then moved a piece on the game board which was laid upon the table — one of the pieces of Chaturaji. The male Devil said to the youth
“Shiva-sama, what a coincidence for us to meet in a place like this.”
The youth who was called Shiva — no, the God of Destruction grinned. “Should it be called coincidence, or inevitability? —It’s nice to meet you for the first time, current Beelzebub Ajuka.”
Shiva accepted the male Devil — Ajuka Beezebub’s invitation and also began to move the pieces of Chaturaji. Ajuka continued to play as he said
“The rumours say that you’ve accepted the request of the Three Factions to stop Trihexa.”
Shiva also continued the conversation while moving his pieces. “Well, sort of. However…this is beyond my expectations. —I’m afraid that even if I faced it head on, I wouldn’t be able to defeat it. It’s impossible to seal it without triggering a battle on the level of world destruction.”
“Sealing huh. As the God of Destruction who could destroy the world, you’ll only seal it?”
In response to Ajuka’s words, Shiva shrugged. “Indeed, it is impossible even for me to kill it. Didn’t you and Azazel understand this from the very beginning? The most that can be done is a sealing, and that would be the best possible outcome. I will certainly bring destruction to it, but mere destruction will not kill it; that legendary beast-kun is not so weak.”
The God of Destruction laughed sarcastically. Ajuka raised his eyebrows slightly. | text_20 |
“—In order to ‘destroy’ it, only the former Ophis in her prime or Great Red who wanders about in the Dimensional Gap could do it.”
“So, the reason that you’ve come here is?”
Shiva asked while yawning. Ajuka raised two fingers. “There are two things. My friend — Sirzechs, please do not hinder him. In order to prevent you from causing destruction with this opportunity, please allow me to observe you until the end.”
Behind Ajuka who said that — a woman with beautiful long, pale blue hair had appeared there without him noticing. The woman had a cold atmosphere floating about her, and there was an extremely powerful dragon’s aura within her body. Shiva immediately understood that she possessed immense power and was able to shift into the form of a human. Shiva recognised her, she would be Tiamat. The strongest Dragon King. She was second to none among dragons. And in her hand, Tiamat was holding a small blue device, the same colour as her hair — a mobile phone. The instant that Shiva saw that device, he noticed that there was something abnormal about it. Perhaps, no, it was absolutely certain that that mobile phone was related to a Longinus. …Whether it was a real or a fake, since it was prepared by a Super Devil, the first time that the God of Destruction saw it, he seemed slightly afflicted by it. What was that Longinus able to do? And what did they plan to do with that Longinus? But he understood the purpose of the Devil in front of his eyes that had come to this place. Shiva, who saw through everything, made a small smile at the corners of his lips. “Do you want to eliminate me and Trihexa along with the entire world, Devil-kun?”
In response to Shiva’s question, Ajuka smiled and shook his head. “No. I never said anything like that. But — if the destruction of the world becomes your objective again, that will be another matter.”
Ajuka’s words greatly piqued Shiva’s interest. “Eh, this is some really interesting conjecture.”
Shiva concluded that Ajuka more or less came here to visit so that he could grasp what his intentions were. Ajuka didn’t mind, and continued
“After Trihexa defeats Great Red, and opens the gate to another world, what do you plan to do? Do you have an agreement with Azazel-dono in this regard? You were only a deterrent against Trihexa.”
Ah, what a good Devil. This Super Devil had already made speculations on such things. Shiva laughed as he replied
“Ahahahaha, you’re quick to notice, current Beelzebub. Each mythology also fears it, more than you or Sirzechs. But, I do not.”
Ajuka nodded as he smiled eloquently. “Yes, probably. However, I shall watch over the fate of the world with you here, so let’s become a deterrent to that possibility.”
Ajuka said that as he moved a piece board. “…I can’t understand what this god and Super Devil are thinking.”
The beautiful woman behind him sighed as if she was uninterested. While moving a piece during his turn, Shiva then said
“Do you plan to do the same thing that Sirzechs Lucifer did when he faced Hades? Do you really value his friendship?”
During the [Devil Uprising] which was caused by the Hero Faction and Old Maou Faction of [Khaos Brigade]; in Olympus — the God of the Realm of the Dead Hades attempted to stir up trouble and take advantage of the confusion. In order to prevent this, the one who personally went to the Realm of the Dead to stop him was Sirzechs Lucifer. Ajuka’s behaviour this time was very similar to that. —But the difference between Hades and Shiva was that the God of Destruction did not feel any resentment, envy, or dissatisfaction towards Devils. However, only a little, he thought that Ajuka’s actions were brave and preferable. If he was childish and tried to flatter him with words, then he would have scorned him. So that’s how it was; Shiva silently nodded. Now, perhaps he understood the reason why Indra — Śakra was so interested in these people. It really was quite interesting, so much so that he wanted to continue watching. After all, that guy Indra, for a new Rigveda— in order to produce a collection of hymns of the world again, he even used the [Pieces] outside of the mythology that he belonged to. —I gained popularity, and that has led to his resentment? While thinking this, he felt that it was would be rather fun to imagine Indra’s reaction. When he mentioned Sirzechs’ name before, he could see that Ajuka’s expression softened for a moment. “It’s a very simple situation. —If you become an enemy of his, then you’ll naturally become an enemy of mine.”
It was a single line which really showed their deep friendship, and his expression was genuine. It was his true intention. Shiva leaned his elbow on the table and held his face up with that hand as he made a slight smile. “Fine, very well, we’ll witness it together. —Trihexa, as well as the fate of this world.”
Shiva leisurely said so. The sky of the Underworld — had already started to become dull, and there was a feeling of tremendous unrest. The effect of awakening the beast which was recorded in the Book of Revelation had already started to appear in the sky of the Underworld. Soon, this miasma would be floating throughout the entire Underworld, and it would drift into the Human World, Heaven, and also the worlds of other mythologies. The game — heralded the beginning of an apocalyptic battle. | text_20 |
A certain night seven years ago. The day I met that child, I remember it very clearly. It was a very cold and snowy night. Shemhazai had brought a boy before me — Azazel. The boy was wearing tattered clothes, his hair was messy, and he had wounds all over his body. What made me even more concerned were his eyes which expressed hostility, and demonstrated that he had been raised without being able to trust anyone. It was obvious that he had been harshly abused. In fact, this boy had been subjected to the cruelty of his own chichiand sofu. Shemhazai told me that this boy was using a deserted house somewhere in the mountains of Europe as a stronghold; both the police and agents of the Vatican wanted to apprehend him, but they were repelled by the youth’s unimaginable ability. After the agents of the Vatican found out that this boy had the power of a Devil as well as — the power of a great Dragon, they planned to send several higher level agents. At that point, Shemhazai received contact from the side of the Devils, saying ‘I hope that you guys can protect this boy’. When Shemhazai went with his subordinates to capture this boy, they discovered that he had the Sacred Gear of the [White Dragon] — the light wings of the Hakuryuukou; he was the Hakuryuukou of this generation. Although we constantly monitored all of the Longinus wielders, it could be described as the first time that we were right next to one, moreover, it was a boy. Upon seeing the boy for the first time, I spoke first. “You sure did cause a lot of trouble. …What is your name?”
In response to my question, the boy remained silent for a while, and then replied
“…Vali…Lucifer.”
Indeed, this boy — Vali wasn’t just a Longinus wielder, he was also a descendant of the Maou, and could be said to have inherited the blood of the father of all Devils, [Lucifer]; his existence itself could be called a joke. The Vatican — if Heaven knew the truth, they would most certainly be afraid, and would immediately kill him. Or perhaps even if the Devils’ side knew about his existence at that time…. …Shemhazai’s source of information about Vali came from a servant of the former Lucifer’s son — a servant of Rizevim. That servant contacted Shemhazai — through Devils who had connections with Fallen Angels, and conveyed that information about Vali. Precisely because we knew this, Vali was able to safely take refuge inside the Grigori. If the Devils’ side learned of the existence of Vali, how would the current government, who had a poor relationship with the Old Maou Faction, especially the Great King Family treat him? Perhaps he would be imprisoned until his death, or perhaps they would dispose of him as a person that had never even existed—. He was an existence who was born from a human, yet at the same time he had the power of Lucifer and the Hakuryuukou, so there wouldn’t be a single person among the higher-ups that wouldn’t panic. In order to allow Vali to survive, I felt that the choice that that servant made was not wrong. But not long after, we stopped receiving any contact from the servant. I was afraid that, no, that person had become a victim in order to allow Vali to successfully escape. Why did that servant try to save Vali even at the cost of their own life? Someone suggested that they did not want to see the good blood of Lucifer be lost. Perhaps it was because they couldn’t turn a blind to the cruel treatment that Vali received from Rizevim. Anyway, under such circumstances, how would we deal with Vali? Sacred Gear…perhaps to the System of the Sacred Gears, none of the wielders had a choice. Thus, I witnessed several tragedies. Being one-sidedly given a ‘miracle’ from the Heavens — it was more appropriate to call it an ability. The ability controlled them, and ruined their lives…the sight of them enveloping their surroundings in misfortune simply made me feel emptiness. Especially the wielders of the Sacred Gears of the Two Heavenly Dragons; their lives were burdened with the fate of battle, thus they experienced many rough situations and the lives of those all around them suffered similar misfortune; there were far too many of these cases. At that time, I thought that Vali might also have been drawn into such a fate. After keeping Vali in the Grigori for a few months—. Although Vali hadn’t opened himself up to us, he had already become accustomed to life in there. I also spoke with him seriously many times. After I informed him of the events related to that servant, his eyes widened in surprise, and he then turned around and said a single thing. “……How stupid.”
What did his young mind actually think about the demise of that servant? Using that as an opportunity, Vali began to ask me how to use the Sacred Gear. Reading and writing, I increased my parenting of him. That boy slowly grew up and also began to show his potential. Relying on that, when he was finally able to communicate with Albion, which he was unable to do before, I was unable to forget the wide smile that had emerged on his face. He had a very vague concept of family and loved ones, but he unconsciously pursued power…the contradiction of his existence flashed before my eyes. Vali had inherited the blood of Lucifer, and also held the power of the Hakuryuukou. The child who possessed such an ability when he was born…his own chichi feared him, and was incited to abuse him by Rizevim. You should have opposed him. Even if he is your biological father, it was a life-threatening situation, so you should have been able to oppose him with that ability. When Vali heard me say this, his eyes were filled with sorrow. “…If I wasn’t beaten by that man, kaa-sanwould have been beaten in my place. Also…”
The next thing that Vali said was something that I would never forget in my life. “…When that man was hitting me…he had a calm expression. Although I was scared, felt pain, and hated it, I think it was something that man had to do.”
The man who feared Vali; upon seeing that his own son was being beaten without resistance, it was the first time that he could feel at ease. As the man who was born as the grandson of Lucifer, he should have been a ‘special’ existence from the moment that he was born. However, his own child — was a ‘monster’ greater than himself. He felt fear from the bottom of his heart. Having the expectations that came with the position of Lucifer’s grandson, he was fearful that his child who had even more potential than himself would kill him while he was asleep in the future. There was also pressure from his own chichi, Rizevim. All of this was added together. That man beat his non-resistant son in order to secure a place for his own existence. That point was realised by this boy, so he allowed himself to be abused without resisting. —He was the child who was discarded by his family, without ever knowing anything about the warmth of a family. A year after Vali came over to me—. | text_21 |
The silver-haired youth who had learnt how to use his own power was already able to overwhelm the Sacred Gear wielders of his generation; he had confidence in his own power, while moving forward with his life’s goals. Vali said to me
“Azazel, I want to become stronger than anyone in this world. Where my own power, and my innate ability can reach, I want to know that clearly. I want to be stronger than Rizevim, the previous generation’s Lucifer, and even the SekiryuushinteiGreat Red.”
The boy who was born with the power that brought misfortune to himself decided to pursue the path of power. Compared to the power to protect someone, he didn’t pursue the power to protect himself, rather, he pursued the power which wouldn’t lose to anyone else. He will be at the mercy of the power of the Two Heavenly Dragons, or should I say—. “Yes, Azazel. My opponent…what kind of person is the Sekiryuutei?”
When the silver-haired youth asked me that, his eyes were sparkling with the splendour of curiosity. Then, a few years later, Vali finally saw the Sekiryuutei. In his eyes, I wonder how he saw Ise—. Five days had already passed since Trihexa was resurrected—. I — Azazel, and Barakiel were currently together in the capital city of the Devils’ side in the Maou’s territory, Lilith. Within the conference room in the city which belonged to the Maou, a summit was being held (Devils’ side, Fallen Angels’ side), to discuss the response to Trihexa. Sirzechs did not attend because he had other urgent matters to attend to. The Governor of my side, Shemhazai, was issuing commands at the Grigori Institute. Five days ago, after Trihexa revived, it destroyed the main facilities of the Fallen Angels’ Grigori Institute first, after which, it was transported to Heaven. It also devastated the First Heaven which acted as a frontline base, all the way up to the Sixth Heaven, the core area where the Seraphs resided. Those who were working at the main facilities of the Grigori, as well as the Angels who fought against Trihexa in Heaven had essentially been killed. The Cadres of my side — Sahariel and Penemue had both been severely injured, while their older subordinates had also died in battle. The damage which occurred in Heaven was even more serious. Three of the Seraphs had been seriously injured; Raphael had lost a leg while Uriel had lost an eye and an arm. Several of the Angels who had existed since ancient times had died. The final and uppermost Seventh Heaven was successfully defended, and the [System] which was left behind by the God of the Bible had been protected. …However, the sacrifices which were made for that were simply too great. At that time, in the centre of the round table in the conference room, a video of that battle was played. The gigantic beast mercilessly sprayed out flames from its seven heads. The facilities of the Grigori, as well as the surrounding terrain were blown away in an instant. What happened in Heaven was an equally horrific and agonising sight. The bursts of fire that Trihexa spat out penetrated from the First Heaven up to the Third Heaven. The scene of Heaven was horribly tragic as it looked as though it had turned into a burning hell. Alongside it were the fake Sekiryuutei and mass-produced Evil Dragons, which caused even further damage. The leaders of this were the legendary Evil Dragons who were second to none, Aži Dahāka and Apophis. The extent to which their attacks went was even greater than what Rizevim had done. …Many black feathers and white feathers had fallen…. Even Michael was unable to take on Trihexa, and he had been defeated. That guy wasn’t in this conference room because he was still being treated, while also repairing the damage that was done to Heaven. After the main facilities of the Grigori and Heaven had been successively destroyed, the Imperial Beast of the Apocalypse transported again. On the third day after Trihexa had revived, the place that it had set its eyes on was—. “…The Norse World was also enveloped in flames…”
Barakiel couldn’t help shuddering as he looked at the video which was displayed in the centre of the round table. There were three levels in the Norse World; the lowest level contained the Realm of the Dead and the icy region of Niflheim, whereas the highest level where the gods lived was Asgard — the Valkyries were also there. Appearing in that place was a beast with seven heads and a body several hundred metres long — Trihexa. After transporting to the lowest level of the Norse World, it began its destruction there, and after a single day, everything had been destroyed. Today was the fifth day after its resurrection; Trihexa had finally reached the first level — the uppermost level. Trihexa usually flew in the air, and only descended to the ground when it fought. Speaking of its characteristics, it was like a human — or perhaps it was more appropriate to say that it was like a primate; it leaned forwards, it had four stout arms, and two legs which were even thicker than its arms. Although it didn’t have any wings, it was able to fly in the air. Its body was covered with black fur, and things which were as hard as scales could be seen all over its body. A bright red colour resembling blood; it had these red protrusions throughout its body — they were similar to horns. Seven tails came out from its lower back, with each one being thick and long. They were also of different shapes. It possessed the features of a lion, dragon, and various other beasts. Everywhere that Trihexa and the Evil Dragons passed through became scorched earth, and the main buildings had been burnt to nothing but ashes. The Norse Gods, the souls of Valhallaand the Valkyries were currently in a desperate fight to stop the advance of Trihexa’s brigade. …But, a single one the fierce and powerful fireballs that Trihexa ejected completely wiped out the beautiful scenery of the Norse World, while the warriors were vaporised…. Drifting alongside Trihexa were two Evil Dragons — one of which was the [Diabolism Thousand Dragon]Aži Dahāka. Standing on top of Aži Dahāka was the [Eclipse Dragon]Apophis, in a human form. Aži Dahāka had created a countless number of magic circles within the air (magic from various different mythologies). The myriad of magic circles encompassed a vast area and released huge amounts of flames, ice, water, lightning, and storms. All of this magic was directed towards the souls of Valhalla. Apophis raised a single hand in the air. Gathered in this hand was an extraordinary amount of aura. In response to this action, the sky became dark. The radiant light which poured down from the sky had actually been obscured by the power of that Evil Dragon. He then created a large dark ball in the sky, and even blocked out the sun, causing the ground to become a world of darkness. When he used that forbidden technique to block out the sun in the past, a tragedy would occur. | text_21 |
Activating the forbidden technique which was engraved on his body, from that ball of darkness emerged [Primordial Water]— the flow of a large, dark river. It would engulf everything. Even a god-class being would be seriously injured if they were to be engulfed by it. In order to prevent Apophis’ forbidden technique from activating, the Valkyries that Rossweisse was a part of activated their own magic circles, and used techniques to hold it back. Rays of sunlight were able to return through the sphere of darkness, but were stopped again. The defensive battle in which the situation continuously shifted back and forth began. The Valkyries opposed it desperately, but a smile emerged on Apophis’ face, clearly showing that he was enjoying this tug of war. Compared to Rizevim, these two Evil Dragons, Aži Dahāka and Apohis had even more power than him. The current situation had already far exceeded what happened during the attack on the Underworld by the Demonic Beasts. The factions which had peaceful relations with each other sent aid and combat forces to the mythologies which had been attacked…. However, facing Trihexa’s brigade which could easily transport themselves anywhere regardless of the most powerful barriers in the world, every faction was so busy guarding against attacks and reinforcing their own territory that they were unable to move. Despite that, the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Heaven still sent over the combat support that they could. The anti-terrorist group [DxD] also went to the Norse World. After all, they had received a lot of care from that jisan Odin in the past. If they didn’t show up now, there wouldn’t be another chance for them to do so. Especially [DxD], they had been fighting all night these past three days. …If the fighting time was lengthened, they wouldn’t be able to support it either. Hopefully they could have some more time to rest…but it was very difficult at the moment. One of the Maous, Falbium Asmodeus said
“These Evil Dragons have not completely destroyed any of the factions; they simply think that they can accomplish their task by destroying some of it. After that, they immediately head over to their next target for destruction. Their strategy is simply too unrefined. …They’re able to transport themselves without any signs of preparation, which should be part of Aži Dahāka’s forbidden technique. That is also rather difficult to deal with. Could it be that those fake Sekiryuutei can use Boost and Transfer, which allows them to enhance the forbidden technique? If that really is the case…. No matter the time or place, they would be able to invade regardless of any barrier. That would make the cooperation between various factions quite difficult, after all, each faction places the protection of its own faction above all else.”
Falbium shared everything that he had thought of with a quiet voice. Serafall said
“Are the Evil Dragon-kuns moving according to someone’s directions? It looks like they’re just rampaging around, but it gives off the impression that they’re actually acting in accordance to some kind of plan. To some extent, it can be seen that they’ve been moving sequentially…”
Choosing the main facilities of the Grigori to be first was because they wanted to destroy it as soon as possible. Compared to the defence of other factions, even if it had significantly more advanced technology, the level of combat strength was insufficient. The size of the facilities was small in comparison to Lilith. If the defence was broken through, it could be destroyed in an instant. After destroying the Fallen Angels’ side in the Underworld, they would go to destroy the Devils’ side that was also in the Underworld. —That was what we originally thought; we never imagined that they would move to Heaven. It was truly unexpected. On the surface, it appeared as though they were just going on a rampage, but they actually had a plan of attack. Hearing this, Falbium spoke softly again. “Indeed, I’ve already contacted the Greek mythology just in case. I asked them to monitor Hades. There were rumours that he was secretly in contact with the Evil Dragon Apophis, and it was also him who informed them of the shortcut when Rizevim attacked Heaven. If the situation is similar to when the Underworld was attacked, it won’t be good if he takes advantage of any loopholes. If Hades comes out again, the damage will be even greater, so it’s fortunate that we have help from the Greek mythology. Those who have been secretly associated with Rizevim are also being monitored. However, if the situation becomes chaotic, we’ll just have to ask those allied mythologies and associated organisations to get rid of them, even if they are a god.”
It appeared as though Falbium had already made a pre-emptive strike. It was only natural for Hades, as well as the countless number of associations that Rizevim had when he invaded Heaven to be monitored. Even before that, Sirzechs and I had gone to visit his side along with two Longinus wielders. Another suspicious god, Indra — Śakra had previously provided support to those against us, so it was not difficult to sense his hostility. Aside from the first generation Sun Wukong of Team [DxD], various other strong people had been sent over. …What was this God of War planning? Supporting us from behind was the God of Destruction Shiva, but what exactly do you want? …Well whatever, we’ll just accept his good intentions for now. …Or should we go back and think of our countermeasures against Trihexa? Anyway, every faction needed to strengthen their own defences. In order to prepare for a second attack, and strengthen the defences of the main remaining facilities, all important research data and results were being hidden deep underground. Really, among the facilities which were destroyed, my laboratory was included. There were also things which I hadn’t finished researching…. It looks like that part about research on Sacred Gears will have to be delayed. But the most important thing that was lost were those outstanding subordinates… Damn it, even if I live for a longer time, I won’t be able to get used to this guilt or regret. The capital of the Devils’ side, Lilith, was starting to deploy the military and police in major cities; high-class Devils, as well as ultimate class Devils and their servants were also on standby. But that was also inadequate. The news of my facilities being destroyed had already spread throughout the Underworld. The general population of the Underworld was afraid of the unrest like the attack of the Demonic Beasts again. The Devils had started to prepare emergency shelters, but under these circumstances, everything was very confusing and there was unrest everywhere. The video on the round table showed citizens who were planning to take refuge outside the city thus causing traffic jams due to the sheer volume of vehicles; they were Devils who were nervous and untrusting of the shelters. | text_21 |
Subsets and Splits